MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Siirt- Six women, who attended an event on the International Women’s Day, March 8, 2024, face terrorism charges for singing songs and their speeches. “We do not accept attacks on our culture and music,” said Peace Mothers’ Initiative member Ayşe Taşçı, one of the six women.

Six women face terrorism charges

Fatma Dayan, Gülistan Dayan, Kader Kılıç, Nalin Gökçen, Servet Ervan and Ayşe Taşçı will stand trial on charges of “Propagandizing for a (terrorist) organization”. A 5-page indictment prepared against them was accepted by the Siirt 2nd High Criminal Court.

Prosecutor asked her to speak Turkish

Turkish police conducted house raids in the city, detained six women. The women testified at the prosecutor’s office. “The prosecutor asked me to speak Turkish. Another investigation has been launched against me for one of my speeches at Newroz celebrations.” Reminding the recent detentions against the people dancing halay to Kurdish music, she said, “We will keep preserving our culture and dancing halay.”

‘They do everything to prevent us from demanding justice and our rights’

The prosecutor asked Ayşe Taşçı why she had attended the event organized on the International Women’s Day. “I was also asked why I am a member of the Peace Mothers’ Initiative. They do everything to prevent us from demanding justice and rights. What they ask us is actually that we should sing our songs and dance according to them, not ourselves. They aim to intimidate us by detaining and arresting us.”

‘We will preserve our language as long as we live’

“We will all die one day but our death must be an honorable death,” Ayşe Taşçı said. “They do this so that we forget our own language and culture. We will preserve our language as long as we live. We keep struggling with our halay and songs.”