BERÇEM CÛDÎ

Kobanê- On June 3, Mehmet Sıddık Akış, the elected Co-mayor of Colemêrg (Hakkari), was detained, removed from office and replaced with a trustee. He was then sentenced to 19 years and six months in prison on charges of “leading an illegal organization”. Since June 3, people have taken to the streets in many Kurdish cities to protest the coup against the will of people in Colemêrg.

In an interview with NuJINHA, Semîra Elî, director of Mala Jin (Women’s House) in the Euphrates Canton evaluated the AKP's usurpation policies against the gains of the Kurdish people.

‘The AKP violates all laws’

The AKP aims to destroy the will of people, Semîra Elî said. “The Turkish state, especially the AKP, always carries out inhuman practices against the people of Türkiye and Kurdistan. This is the AKP's history full of occupation, oppression, plunder, destruction and torture. The AKP uses laws according to its interests. The people and politicians were given high prison terms for supporting the resistance in Kobanê. The whole world thinks that the fight against ISIS is a humanitarian duty; the AKP calls the trial against the politicians a ‘terrorism’ trial. This reveals that Erdoğan supports terrorism.”

Speaking about the replacement of the elected mayor of Colemêrg with a state-appointed trustee, she said, “The appointment of trustees to the municipalities of people once again shows the plundered mentality and oppression of the invaders. The people elected their mayor with their will but the AKP ignored the will of the people. It is obvious that it is determined to carry out its invasion and destruction. The AKP removed the elected mayor of Colemêrg and appointed a trustee to the municipality because Colemêrg is a strategic place for the AKP aiming at continuing its corruption and plunder by depriving the people of services.”

‘The gains of the Kurdish people are targeted everywhere’

The Turkish government also threatened municipal elections to be held in North and East Syria. “The Turkish government follow the same policies against the municipal elections to be held in North and East Syria,” Semîra Elî said, adding, “When the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) announced that municipal elections would be held in northeastern Syria, the Turkish state began to attack the region. The municipal elections are a must to provide services to the local people. However, the Turkish state did not accept the elections and began to threaten and attack the region. The Turkish state does not want the Kurdish people to have status, rights and system.”

‘The will of our people will bring success’

At the end of her speech, Semîra Elî saluted the resistance of the people in Colemêrg and said, “The people know what they want. Therefore, the people of Colemêrg immediately took a stand against the appointment of the trustee. The AKP wants to control everything but the people do not want it. Women and young people lead the protests against the state-appointed trustee. The state-appointed trustee will be defeated by the will of women and youth. People of all ages shield for their municipality. We believe that Erdoğan will be defeated and the people will win a victory in Colemêrg.”