JINHA

IZMIR – Sebahat Tuncel, the co-speaker of the Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK), says it's time for an end to politics in Turkey by "the ones with mustaches, bellies and money."

Sebahat met with women's groups in the Aegean city of Izmir yesterday to discuss the campaign by the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). The HDP, which follows a gender-parity policy, is aiming to win over 10% of the vote in Turkey's election and enter the Parliament for the first time—bringing with it pro-woman policies.

"As us, as women, it's necessary that we make policies and intervene in life," said Sebahat Tuncel at the meeting with local feminists. She called the recent "back-turning action" by women in Iğdır a "political and practical" way of fighting back against politics by "those with mustaches, bellies and money."

Sebahat fielded questions from women participants about conceptual elements of women's struggle. The women parted with a commitment to do everything necessary to honor Perihan Geniş, a recent victim of femicide in the Aegean province of Manisa, whose body is being brought to Izmir for an autopsy.

(ck-pz/fk/cm)