To the press and public:

Yesterday evening the Turkish ministry of interior declared that 370 NGOs and associations in Turkey will be closed down by decree. 199 of them are accused of being affiliated to the PKK, 153 of them to the Gulen-movement, 18 to the DHKP-C front and only 8 to the Islamic State. Short time after the announcement later first associations were raided. The sealing of the doors of the affected associations is continuing. As all of this happens under the mantle of the emergency state and so-called 'struggle against putschists' there is no legal way to response against this unlawful, arbitrary, antidemocratic attacks of the Turkish AKP government that aim the total gagging of the democratic public and especially the Kurds as the main force for a democracy and freedom.

One of the 199 Kurdish associations that have been closed by decree today is the Free Woman's Congress (KJA), the biggest umbrella organisation of the Kurdish Women's Liberation Movement in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan. Ayla Akat Ata, its spokeswoman had been detained 2 weeks ago during a protest against the detention of the co-mayors of the biggest Kurdish city Diyarbakir, Gultan Kisanak and Firat Anli. Among the so-far closed associations are also the Selis Women's Association, the Kurdish Writer's Union, the Mesopotamia Culture Centre, the Mesopotamia Lawyer's Association, the Libertarian Lawyer's Association, the Peace Association, the Association to Fight Poverty Sarmasik, which provides monthly help for 5 thousand families, the Free Journalist Union, the Seyr-i Mesel Theatre Company, the Solidarity Association for Families of Prisoners, the Rojava Association, which was coordinating help for Rojava, the Politics Academy of the DBP. The closure of more or less all Kurdish registered legal associations follows the detention and arrest of 10 HDP MPs - 5 of them women - , including their co-chairs Figen Yuksekdag and Selahattin Demirtas. Furthermore Sebahat Tuncel, the co-chair of the Kurdish Party of Democratic Regions (DBP) was also arrested. Within one year 5 thousand 389 members of the DBP got detained, 2 thousand 574 of them remain in prison.

Within the last one year the Turkish state killed hundreds of Kurds, destroyed ten thousands of houses, displaced millions of people, detained dozens of elected Kurdish mayors, replaced them with trustees, closed down all Kurdish and alternative media in Turkey - from TV stations to newspapers and journals -, arrested their political representatives and now is closing down the last remaining places where Kurds organise themselves.

Meanwhile the Turkish army is constantly bombing Kurdish cities in Rojava, killing dozens of civilians and Self Defence Forces. The Canton Afrin is currently under military siege of Turkish soldiers and elements of the so-called Free Syrian Army, which are preparing to create a second Kobane there. Furthermore yesterday night news reached us saying that Turkish tanks are crossing the border to Iraqi Kurdistan to launch an unlawful offensive against PKK forces there.

The current Turkish government with support of nationalist and ultranationalist parties and forces is establishing a fascist dictatorship. What is happening today is no more comparable with the military coup of 1980 or the 'dirty war' of the Turkish state against the Kurds in the 90s. The fascist regime under the leadership of Erdogan is repeating genocidal history, taking Nazi-Germany as example and reiterating exactly the same policy of Hitler after his seizure of power. This is reality that cannot be blandished.

We call on you to support the Kurdish people in their resistance against this fascist regime and show active solidarity. This regime is not only threatening the Kurds and democracy forces in Turkey, but following a very dangerous policy whose effects will not stop at the borders of the Turkish state.

Unite against fascism, for freedom and democracy!

Stop Turkish fascism! Join the resistance!

Kurdish Women's Relation Office - REPAK

12 November 2016

REPAK
Kurdish Women's Relation Office
رێکخراووی پەیوەندییەکانی ئافرەتانی
کورد
Navenda Pêwendiyan a Jinên Kurd
منظمة المرأة الكردية للعلاقات
+964 (0) 750 197 06 44
Sulaymaniyah - Southern Kurdistan /
Kurdistan Region in Iraq