Ayşe Gökkan

Ayşe Gökkan (born 1965 Kulince, Sanliurfa) is a Kurdish journalist, feminist, spokeswoman of the Free Women Movement (TJA)[1] and a former Mayor of Nusaybin.[2] As a journalist, she has been active in news outlets such as Özgür Gündem or Azadiya Welat.[3] Gökkan was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on grounds that she was a leader and a member of a terror organization in October 2021.[2]

Early life and education

She was born in the village Kulince in Suruç, Şanlıurfa Province.[3] After having attended primary school in her village, she graduated from high school in Urfa.[3] Later she studied journalism at the American University of Northern Cyprus from which she graduated in 1998.[4]

Political career

She was an active member of the People's Labour Party (HEP), the Democracy Party (DEP), the People's Democracy Party (HADEP) the Democratic People's Party (DEHAP) and the Democratic Society Party (DTP).[4] For the HADEP she was a candidate for the Grand National Assembly of Turkey but was not elected as the party didn't pass the electoral threshold of 10 %.[4] Representing the DTP, she was elected as the mayor of Nusaybin in the local elections of 2009.[3][5] As Mayor of Nusaybin she opposed the construction of the border wall between the pro-Kurdish administration in Rojava and Turkey in 2013.[6]

According to a news-statement from the Peoples' Democratic Party Gökkan has been detained for more than 80 times.[7] She was detained again in January 2021[7] at her house in Kayapinar, Diyarbakir and accused of being a member of the Kurdistan Communities Union, the Democratic Society Congress, the Free Women Movement[4] and a leader and member of a terrorist organization.[8] Gökkan was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment on grounds that she was a leader and a member of a terror organization.[2]

References
  1. "Turkish court sentences political activist Ayşe Gökkan to 30 years in prison - ANHA | HAWARNEWS | English". www.hawarnews.com. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  2. van Wilgenburg, Wladimir (20 October 2021). "Kurdish feminist sentenced to 30 years jail in Turkey". Kurdistan24. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  3. "Ayşe Gökkan Kimdir ? - Ayşe Gökkan Hayatı ve Biyografisi". www.haberler.com. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  4. "'No legal reasons' for women's rights defender Gökkan's arrest, says attorney". Bianet. 29 January 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. "Nusaybin Seçim Sonuçları". www.haberler.com (in Turkish). 2009. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  6. "Ayşe Gökkan speaks from ground zero". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2021-10-20.
  7. "TJA Spokesperson Gökkan detained upon arrest warrant". Bianet. 28 January 2021.
  8. "Kurdish political activist Ayşe Gökkan facing long prison sentence". Medya News. 2021-01-28. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
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