Semra Güzel

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]

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

Early life and education

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

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

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

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

References
  1. "Jailed pending trial, pro-Kurdish politician loses seat in Turkish parliament". Reuters. 2022-12-23. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  2. "TÜRKİYE BÜYÜK MİLLET MECLİSİ". www5.tbmm.gov.tr. Retrieved 2022-01-26.
  3. "Parliamentary Speaker says HDP's Güzel 'should be stripped of legislative immunity'". Bianet. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 26 January 2022.
  4. 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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