New testimonies emerge in Parliament harassment scandal: Silenced with 'You won't tell anyone'

Following the emergence of harassment allegations involving children interning at the TBMM restaurant, another young woman has revealed that she was subjected to similar harassment during her own internship at the Parliament. T24 reached out to the young woman, who made her voice heard through a message shared on social media.

HARASSMENT BEGAN IN THE THIRD WEEK OF THE INTERNSHIP

The young woman explained that she began her internship at the Parliament last September and that about three weeks later, a chef in his 30s began verbally harassing her. She stated that the harassment soon escalated into attempts at physical contact.

“YOU SMELL SO GOOD, I WANT TO GET INSIDE AND SMELL YOU”

The young woman reported that the chef used phrases such as, "You smell so good, I want to get inside and smell you" and "Do you drink alcohol? Shall we go get a drink tomorrow?" She stated that she felt deeply uncomfortable during this period.

SHE TOLD THE MANAGER BUT WAS SILENCED

The young woman stated that after two weeks of harassment, she reported the situation to the institution's manager. Noting that two of her female friends were also present, she continued:

"The manager said, 'You won't tell anyone. Not even your mother or father will know.'"

“EVERYONE KNEW BUT NO ONE SPOKE UP”

The young woman stated that while she did not have concrete evidence, some employees noticed what was happening. She shared that one employee told her, "The man was practically all over you."

She summarized the situation by saying, "Everyone knew everything, but they stayed silent."

After interning at the Parliament for about a month and a half, the young woman shared her experiences with her family and, with the support of her family and teachers, ended her internship and transferred to another institution.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services announced that it is following the harassment allegations. Ministry sources reported that psychosocial support is being provided to the victim and her family, and that the ministry will be actively involved in the legal process.

REACTION FROM NGOS: “IT CANNOT BE COVERED UP”

Canan Güllü, President of the Federation of Women and Youth Associations, stated that they are closely following the process and said:

It would be very wrong to evaluate this issue through politics.

We have been calling for abuse legislation for years; the goal was to prevent such incidents.

The seriousness of what is happening even inside the Parliament is clear. It is evident that young girls cannot trust either deputies or bureaucrats.

It must not be covered up; for the Parliament to sweep this under the rug would be a disaster for the country.