Turkish security forces arrest over 20 Kurdish women activists in southeastern province

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Security forces in Turkey’s southeastern province of Diyarbakir (Amed) raided a women's foundation and houses of several of its members and a journalist early Monday, arresting at least 20 people, according to the foundation.

The reasons for the arrests are unknown. 

“Around 6am, our foundation was raided by the security forces. The houses of several of our women friends were raided as well,” Adalet Kaya, head of Rosa Women’s Foundation, told reporters in Diyarbakir, adding that they are under “unlawful pressure” from the government for their recent feminist activities such as their opposition to Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention last month. 

“We as Kurdish women … have been under attack for a year: four operations and two raids. They were all related to our activities,” she said. 

According to the foundation, 22 Kurdish women were arrested in Monday’s raids, mostly from Rosa -  which was raided on May 22, 2020 for their alleged links to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara. 

Monday’s arrests also included Beritan Canozer, a journalist for Jinnews, which covers news on Kurdish women in Turkey. Members of the pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) were also arrested. 

Both Jinnews and Rosa are unofficially linked to the HDP, which has come under intense pressure from Turkish government for its alleged link to the PKK in recent years.  

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ), which advocates for the rights of women and LGBTQ journalists, condemned Canozer's arrest.   

“We demand the Turkish state to release Beritan immediately. We find those brutal attempts are aiming to intimidate and silence journalists in Turkey. We urge Turkish authorities to end these attacks against reporters. Journalism is not a crime,” it said. 

Ayse Acar Basaran, spokesperson for the HDP’s Women’s Council, condemned the raids, telling reporters that the raids on “our friends … cannot make us retreat from struggling for women’s rights.”