Rojda Aydın 

 

ŞIRNAK - HDP MP Dersim Dağ, who said that the 30 years punishment given to Ayşe Gökkan was given to the women’s freedom struggle, said, ‘’We are getting stronger against all attacks. We are not afraid from punishment and arrests, we will not stop’’.

 

The hearing of the trial in which Free Women’s Movement (TJA) Term Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan is on trial on allegations of ‘’being a executive of a terrorist organization’’ and ‘’being a member of a terrorist organization’’ was held at Diyarbakır 9th High Criminal Court on October 20. Due to the attitude of the court board, Ayşe did not make a defense. As a result of the trial, Ayşe was sentenced to 30 years in prison, two times for ‘’being a member of a terrorist organization’’. The women’s reaction to the punishment of Ayşe continue.

 

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Diyarbakır MP Dersim Dağ, who evaluated and reacted to the punishment given to Ayşe Gökkan, said that it was an attack against the women’s freedom struggle.

 

‘Ayşe Gökkan is a symbol for Kurdish women’

 

Stating that Ayşe was held without defense for nine months, Dersim said, ‘’They want to take the struggle in the person of Ayşe Gökkan prisoner and stop it. Ayşe Gökkan is an important symbol for the women’s freedom struggle. She has been fighting for women’s freedom for 30 years and resisting. With this punishment, they want to give a message to Kurdish women. Ayşe Gökkan has been in prison for nine months. Before that, she was detained tens of times, arrested and lawsuit has been filed against her’’.

 

‘They terrorize the Kurdish language and reflect it as a crime’

 

Dersim said, ‘’Ayşe Gökkan used her mother tongue in life and in every field. That’s why she was targeted. Ayşe Gökkan is seen as a member of the organization because she speaks Kurdish in the courts and is reflected as such. They show that she speaks in her mother tongue as evidence. They terrorize the Kurdish language and reflect it as a crime. This is not only an attack on women, but also an attack on Kurdish. Those who speak Kurdish and make politics in Kurdish are considered guilty. Ayşe Gökkan has been in prison for nine months and has only been brought to court twice. At the first hearing, the court board attacked her lawyers and Ayşe Gökkan with hostility. They took the lawyers out of the hall. Therefore, neither the lawyers nor Ayşe Gökkan made a defense at the first hearing. Ayşe Gökkan’s right to defense was taken away. In such a case, she was sentenced to 30 years. This shows that if you are Kurdish, if you are a woman and if you are fighting for women’s freedom, you are considered guilty. Ayşe Gökkan has been doing politics in Kurdish as a woman for 30 years’’.

 

‘We will increase the struggle by resisting’

 

Indicating that Ayşe was elected mayor in the Nusaybin district of Mardin in the local elections held on October 29, 2009, Dersim said that important and powerful works were carried out for women during this period. Dersim continued, ‘’Ayşe Gökkan has been a role model and pioneer for Kurdish women. This is the reason for the attacks. They want to stop the free women’s movement and struggle in the person of Ayşe Gökkan. The government wants to distance Kurdish women from the struggle. The women’s liberation movement has come so far as a result of great struggles. Hundreds of women were taken prisoner because they were fighting for women’s liberation. However, despite all the attacks and arrests, this struggle continues. Ayşe Gökkan, Sêvê Demir, Asya Yüksel, Gültan Kışanak, Sebahat Tuncel and thousands of Kurdish women paid a price. Kurdish women paid a heavy price. But this struggle is growing. We will enlarge the struggle with our resistance and strength. We will follow in the footsteps of women who were taken prisoner, killed’’.

 

‘We should lay claim to our struggle’

 

Expressing that the government wants to intimidate Kurdish women with punishment and arrests, Dersim said, ‘’They have made the judiciary a toy for themselves. There is no law, no justice, no democracy. Steps are taken not according to the law, but according to the laws of the government. Laws are made for rulership. Those who resist the power are wanted to be punished. That's why they want to keep Kurdish women at home. The government wants to distance women from the struggle. However, we are getting stronger against all attacks. We are not afraid from punishment and arrests, we will not stop. We will enlarge the struggle with all our strength and resistance. All women should lay claim to struggle’’.