Over a dozen women detained in police raids in Diyarbakır over Women's Day events

Rosa Women's Association Chair Adalet Kaya

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Many women were detained this morning (March 16) in police raids in the mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern province of Diyarbakır.

There were detention warrants for 24 people, JinNews reported.

Local sources told bianet that the detentions were in relation to the events on International Women's Day in Diyarbakır.

Filiz Buluttekin, the former co-mayor of the Sur district who was replaced with a government-appointed trustee, and Fatma Yıldızhan, the secretary of Health and Social Service Workers' Union (SES) in Amed (Diyarbakır) were among the detained, according the reports.

"Whenever the government gets stuck, it looks for a way out by criminalizing women's struggle. But it shouldn't forget that women will not kneel. Immediately release our friends," the SES Amed Branch said on its Twitter account.

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Women wrote, "This operation is intolerance towards the enthusiasm of March 8. Our struggle cannot be prevented by your oppression!"

HDP deputy Ayşe Acar-Başaran wrote, "You can't women take a step back."

According to the Mesopotamia Agency, among the detained are Rosa Women's Association Chair Adalet Kaya, board member Nevin Oyman and member Fatma Gültekin, TJA activist Zekiye Güler, HDP Yenişehir District Co-Chair Remziye Sızıcı, TÜÖ BEL-SEN Union Chair Nihal Yanık, Eğitim Sen Union No. 1 Education Secretary HAtice Efe, BTS Women's Secretary Bahar Uluğ, Sakine Karadeniz and Birsen Güneş. (EMK/VK)