On 22 November, the AKP-MHP regime usurped the municipality of Dersim under the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) by appointing a trustee in the place of the democratically elected co-mayors, Cevdet Konak and Birsen Orhan. Both mayors were then removed from office and replaced by a trustee, Tunceli Governor Bülent Tekbıyıkoğlu, following an instruction from the Ministry of Interior.

Dersim Women's Platform organised a march from Sanat Street to Seyit Rıza Square in the city centre on Sunday in protest at the usurpation of the municipality. Among the participants were the Democratic Regions Party (DBP) Co-Chair Çiğdem Kılıçgün Uçar, DEM Party Group Deputy Chair Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit, Van Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Neslihan Şedal.

Speaking on behalf of the protesting women who stopped in front of the blockaded municipality, DEM Party Group Deputy Chairperson Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit condemned attempts to usurp the will of the people and underlined that the people of Dersim have never compromised on their stance but defended their identity and essence as they have faced many tyrants throughout history.

Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit continued: “Dersim buried 70 thousand shroudless people in 1938. The rulers of this country do not want to give up oppression. The mentality responsible for what happened in 1938 is the same as the mentality that appoints trustees all over Kurdistan today. We are faced with a government that ignores Kurds, Alevis and women, and in a real sense operates the enemy law. We have never stepped back against this power. They have been usurping our will for 3 terms now. In response, our people put forward their will every time.”

Referring to the resistance of the people against the usurpation of their municipality, Koçyiğit said, “The trustee had the municipality surrounded with concrete barriers. Why? Because he knows he is not legitimate, the people do not want him, he is a thief. The people of Dersim do not consent. Those who are not legitimate, who usurp the will of the people can only sit behind concrete barriers. As long as we exist in this country, as long as those who want democracy, the Kurdish people, women and the oppressed exist, we will put the biggest set in front of this oppression by the AKP.”

Stressing that everyone from Dersim would stand against this oppression, Koçyiğit saluted the resistance and said, “We will win, our people, Dersim, Kurdistan and Turkey will win. Let no one have any doubt. We will build a country where we will live with equality, freedom, democracy and peace. We struggle for this.”

After Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit's speech, the crowd continued to march to Seyit Rıza Square.

Speaking at Seyit Rıza Square, politician Sebahat Tuncel highlighted women’s objection to the usurpation of the municipality and said: “The usurpation of the people's will is the greatest crime against humanity. This is not only a matter of Dersim, Kurds and Mardin. We will protect our municipalities. Dersim is a history of pain and resistance. It is the history of oppression and opposition to oppression. Tunceli is the name of the operation against the city in 1938. It is not that we do not know history. They want to make us forget our history and leave us rootless. The reason why the Kurdish question is not solved today is the policy of denial, annihilation and assimilation. We want to live with our own language and identity. Dersim is the city of Alevis, Kurds and socialists. As women, we say enough is enough. We will not submit to political, physical or economic violence. We will build an equal, free and democratic life together. Each time we respond to the trustee mentality, we get stronger.”

Sevda Karaca, EMEK Party MP for Antep, said, “We resist every day so that there will be a future in this country. We resist against the trustee violence of the AKP government. The women of Dersim know well what a trustee means. ‘Woman, life, freedom’ (Jin, Jiyan, Azadi) is the truth of our lives. Let our anger be the fearful dream of the trustee.”

Sevgi Yılmaz, Secretary General of the Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (KESK), referred to the attacks on Palestine and said, “Like our sisters resisting in Palestine, we will raise the resistance of our sisters against the trustee in Dersim. Where is Gülistan Doku? Who killed Narin Güran? We are in a country where this is still not explained. We will continue to resist.”

Democratic Alevi Associations (DAD) Co-Chair Kadriye Doğan saluted the Dersim resistance and stated the following as she addressed the government: “You will be defeated in Dersim as you repeat the shame and cruelty of the past. Were you able to bring those people to their knees? You could not and cannot bring them to their knees. You will be buried behind your walls. Women will have the last word in the 21st century. We will win. Those who resist will win.”

The statement ended with the slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’.