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International Women's Day was celebrated in Turkey's mostly Kurdish-populated southeastern province of Diyarbakır with a rally under the slogan "The time for women's freedom" (Dem dema azadiya jinan e).
Women who attended the rally in İstasyon Square were searched in three different checkpoints.
Several banners hung in the square included the one that read, "Aysel's memory is our memory," in reference to Aysel Tuğluk, an imprisoned Kurdish politician who has been diagnosed with dementia.
"Ill prisoners are our honor" (Girtiyên newxeş rûmeta me ne), "We are on squares against impoverishment and misogyny," "I'm a Kurd, I want education in mother language" (Ez Kurd im, perwerdehiya bi kurdî daxwazim) were among other slogans written on banners.
Tensions rose between women who wanted to enter the rally area from the Ofis quarter and police as women protested after not being allowed in the area for a long time. They were let in after negotiations.
The rally started with the concert of Sor Jiyan. Imprisoned Kurdish politicians' messages were then read out.
Ilkay Akkaya and Ayfer Düzdaş gave concerts at the rally as well. Women who came to the arena with their children danced halay. (UAA/HA/VK)
