Support for Arrested KESK Women

Women board members of the Ankara University Political Science Alumni Association visited Confederation of Public Workers' Unions (KESK) women at Sincan L type Prison. They held a press statement about KESK women taken into custody at the operations held on 13 February 2012 and then arrested:

The press statement was held at Yüksel Street in Ankara and defined the operation in which KESK women were arrested as "a clear indication of the conservative masculine anger"

President Sevilay Çelenk Özen read the press statement:

"Arrested KESK managers and members exercising their rights to freedom of expression and association despite of the intimidation policies of the political power; they were determined opposing to the systematic violence against women in Turkey and they were fighting in order to protect the for political field from the dominance of men."

"We'll not leave KESK women alone"

Following the press statement read by Sevilay Çelenk Özen, Sevilay Çelenk Özen, Pınar Bedirhanoğlu, Aksu Bora, Nur Betül Çelik and Füsun Çiçekoğlu left for Sincan.

In accordance with the permission of the Ministry of Justice they met with KESK Women Secretary Canan Çalağan, member of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Branch No.1 Hatice Beydilli, the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) Ankara Branch Women Secretary Nurşat Yeşil, former KESK manager Belkıs Yurtsever, Women Secretary of Municipal and Local Authority Trade Union (Tüm Bel-Sen) Güler Elveren, the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) Women Secretary Bedriye Yorgun, member of the Education and Science Workers' Union (Eğitim-Sen) Branch No.1 Evrim Oğraş and the Health and Social Service Workers Union (SES) Ankara Branch Manager Hülya Mendilligil. They expressed their feelings of solidarity and they promised to create a public opinion against arbitrary detention and arrests.  (BB)