JINHA

AMED – Emine Ayna, general co-chair of the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) in Turkey, has announced that she is leaving politics. In a written statement, she said that she has lost faith in the possibility of a political resolution after the Turkish state has “buried alive” the wounded in a Cizre basement.

Leading Kurdish woman politician Emine Ayna announced in a written statement today that she is withdrawing from politics. She noted that the country’s ruling AKP, displeased with the results of Turkey’s June 2015 election, called another election in a total disregard for civil politics. For 10 months, the Turkish state has maintained its refusal of any policies of resolution, with non-stop arrests on the DBP and other political parties.

“That is to say, the possibilities for political parties to do politics are being removed; those who don’t think like the state are disabled,” said Emine.

Emine noted that since January 23 of this year, she and her party have put all their effort into getting medical care to the wounded currently trapped in a basement in the town of Cizre, under siege by Turkish state forces. However, every day has brought a new death in the basement, as the state turned away ambulances eight times.

“We were fooled and deceived in a way that we would never have thought or imagined,” said Emine. Meanwhile, as the drama in Cizre continues, Turkey’s Parliament has gone on holiday until February 8, and state ministers will not meet with politicians attempting to resolve the problem. Emine said that watching 25 people, both wounded and sound, be buried alive in a Cizre basement while politicians in Ankara display no interest in solving the problem was “the last straw” for her.

The reigning political approach in Turkey, Emine said, denies Kurdish language and identity; insults the cultural and political values developed in Turkey; and tortures both the living and the dead in inhumane ways. Emine expressed that she did “not believe that a political solution can emerge” with this mindset.

She noted that the decision to withdraw from politics was her own individual decision, not one she had made with her party.

(fk/cm)