Reactions continue over harassment scandal in Parliament

DEVA Party Deputy Chair Zeynep Sudan made statements regarding key issues on the agenda during a press conference she held in Kars. Sudan issued harsh criticisms, particularly regarding the sexual abuse incident that occurred under the roof of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), stating, "At the forefront of our struggle regarding our women are issues such as abuse, violence, and economic violence. However, encountering such a situation under the roof of Parliament has deeply saddened and wounded us." Sudan noted that if we cannot protect women even in Parliament, it raises a major question mark as to how we will protect women outside.

DEMAND FOR A 50 PERCENT RAISE IN MINIMUM WAGE

During the press conference, Zeynep Sudan also made significant statements regarding the minimum wage. Expressing that, as the DEVA Party, they believe there should be at least a 50 percent raise in the minimum wage, Sudan said, "To ensure that both our retirees and our citizens working for minimum wage can live in a socially acceptable manner with living conditions above the hunger threshold, an increase of at least 50 percent must be made." Sudan stated that the state must govern its citizens with the principle of social justice, emphasizing that 16 million retirees and citizens living on minimum wage are condemned to live with an income below the hunger threshold.

THE SEXUAL ABUSE INCIDENT IN PARLIAMENT

In her statements regarding women's rights, Zeynep Sudan drew attention to the sexual abuse incident in Parliament. Sudan said, "There are many rights violations against women. There was systematic abuse against our female interns in Parliament. We have voiced this to the public and will be following up on it. We do not want this incident to be covered up." Sudan stated that they are fighting against issues such as violence against women, psychological violence, and economic violence, but that even in Parliament, women could not be protected, asking, "If we cannot protect women even under the roof of Parliament, how will we protect women outside?"

STATE PROTECTION POLICIES ARE INADEQUATE

Commenting on the situation of Saliha Aktaş in Bingöl, Sudan stated, "Despite being a parliamentary employee and having completed all necessary legal procedures, the state could not protect Saliha Aktaş," expressing that current policies are inadequate. Sudan stated that "the state must intervene at this point," and expressed that strict and effective policies to protect women must be followed.

RISING RATES IN FEMICIDE

Stating that 349 women were murdered in the first 11 months of 2025, Sudan emphasized that violence against women and murders are on the rise. Expressing that this increase accelerated after the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, Sudan said, "Femicides, child murders, and child abuse are unfortunately increasing rapidly. The necessity of the Istanbul Convention has been demonstrated once again." Sudan stated that withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention in an arbitrary manner has negatively affected women's and children's rights, underlining that a serious struggle must be waged on this issue.

Sudan also touched upon the environment of insecurity in the country and stated that investors are not investing in Turkey due to a lack of trust. Sudan said, "Investors cannot be expected to come to a place where there is no trust. An institutional system can only be established through the rule of law. Investors prefer to invest only in interest." Sudan pointed out the necessity of a system based on the rule of law to attract investors, despite Turkey's geopolitical advantages.

Stating that women and youth must be valued for the country's democratization and expansion, Sudan said, "It is not possible for a country that does not guarantee the rights of women and youth to democratize." Furthermore, recalling that Turkey made significant progress in human rights and the rule of law during periods when it was close to European Union processes, she criticized the recent regression in this area.