Semra Güzel

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Semra Güzel
Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office
8 July 2018 – 23 December 2022
ConstituencyDiyarbakır (2018)
Personal details
Born1984
Viransehir
Political partyHDP
Alma materHarran University

Semra Güzel (born 1984, Viranşehir, Turkey) is a medical doctor, a politician and member of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP). She was a member of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (Turkish Parliament) until her dismissal in December 2022.[1]

Early life and education[edit]

She was born in Viransehir in the province of Sanliurfa where she attended primary and secondary education.[2] She graduated from the University of Harran where she studied medicine.[2] She then was employed at the Children's and Gynecological Hospital of Mardin in May 2009 and by November 2010 she became a medic in Nusaybin, Mardin province.[3] In 2012, she followed up on her studies at the Anesthetics and Reanimation department of the Gazi Yasargil Hospital in Diyarbakir.[3] Additionally, she served as Member of the Board and co-chair in the Medical Chamber of Diyarbakir.[2]

Political career[edit]

She was elected to the Turkish Parliament in the parliamentary elections of 2018, representing the HDP for Diyarbakir.[4] In parliament she was concerned on issues concerning health and the Kurdish language. She questioned the fact that Health Ministry's medical hotline didn't provide a service in the Kurdish language but in other languages[5] and also that the Health Cards issued in a hospital in Elazığ were in 17 languages but excluded the Kurdish language which is spoken by a considerable population in the province of Elazığ and also in Turkey.[6] Due to press reports which showed her together with a member of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Özgür Özel of the Republican People's Party (CHP) mentioned the party would approve the lifting of her parliamentary immunity.[7] She defended herself claiming that she had been engaged to Volkan Bora and as they met in 2014, it was during the peace process between the PKK and Turkey.[4][3]

Arrest[edit]

In September 2022, the Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu announced her arrest over terrorism related charges and accused her of having tried to escape to Greece with a false passport.[8] Imprisoned, she was dismissed from parliament, for not attending its sessions in December 2022.[9]

Personal life[edit]

She was engaged to the PKK militant Volkan Bora, who was killed in a Turkish airstrike in Adiyaman.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Jailed pending trial, pro-Kurdish politician loses seat in Turkish parliament". Reuters. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  2. ^ a b c "TÜRKİYE BÜYÜK MİLLET MECLİSİ". www5.tbmm.gov.tr. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  3. ^ a b c d "Parliamentary Speaker says HDP's Güzel 'should be stripped of legislative immunity'". Bianet. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b Şafak, Yeni (2022-01-26). "Diyarbakır Seçim Sonuçları - Genel Seçim 2018 Diyarbakır Sonucu". Yeni Şafak (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  5. ^ "Health Ministry scrutinized over lack of Kurdish-language services". Gazete Duvar. 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  6. ^ "Parliamentary Question Regarding Exclusion of Kurdish from 17-Language Health Card". Bianet. 25 January 2019.
  7. ^ "CHP to vote in favor of lifting HDP deputy Güzel's immunity". Daily Sabah. 2022-01-20. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  8. ^ "Turkish police detain HDP MP Semra Güzel". Gazete Duvar (in Turkish). 2022-02-09. Retrieved 2022-09-04.
  9. ^ "HDP deputy Güzel stripped of her parliamentary seat". Firat News Agency. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
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