Zana

On Twitter, Avdiu was mentioned in 334 comments within 24 hours of the T7 post - 55 per cent contained sexual content, 30 per cent constituted harassment, and only two per cent were supportive. Analysis showed that only one of the Twitter accounts was fake; the rest were real.

And Avdiu is not alone.

Zana Avdiu, a women's rights activist. Photo: Courtesy of Zana Avdiu.

The Turkish Parliament is attempting to pass an internal rule according to which any MP using the term “Kurdistan” in the country’s national assembly should be be fined. The draft proposal has been approved by the ruling pro-Erdogan AKP party and its nationalist coalition partner MHP. The proposed changes would also ban MPs who abstain from taking the oath of parliamentary privileges.

Kurdish issue-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Ağrı deputy Leyla Zana was detained on Feb. 8 in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır, Doğan News Agency has reported.

Zana had served 10 years in prison for speaking Kurdish while taking her parliamentary oath in 1991. She was ultimately released in 2004 and once again became an MP after the June 2011 elections.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said on Jan. 29 that he would not meet with Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Leyla Zana unless she takes her oath in parliament, saying that such a meeting would not be held over the living conditions of the jailed leader of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said on Jan. 29 that he would not meet with Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) lawmaker Leyla Zana unless she takes her oath in parliament.

Efforts to set a date for a meeting between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an and leading Kurdish politician Leyla Zana are underway, Erdo?an's spokesperson has said.

"The chief of the cabinet is also following the issue of the meeting with Ms. Leyla Zana," presidential spokesperson ?brahim Kal?n said on Jan. 27, in response to questions at a press conference.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo?an has said he will meet Leyla Zana, a deputy from the Kurdish-problem-focused Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).  

Speaking to reporters in Istanbul on Jan. 22 over Zana's request to meet with the president, Erdo?an said the HDP A?r? deputy made the request.

Oath-taking in the Turkish parliament is an event never short of exciting moments and surprises. Female politicians' dresses and shoes are always under scrutiny. And if you dare to make a political statement, it becomes an issue.

Once again, Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) deputy Leyla Zana has not taken the MP's oath "correctly." We know why she does this. 

A leading Kurdish politician will reportedly not repeat an oath she is constitutionally required to take when taking parliamentary office even though the legislature's speaker declared her reworded version to be invalid on Nov. 17.