Semra Güzel

Turkish politician (born 1984)

Semra Güzel

Member of the Grand National Assembly
In office 8 July 2018 – 23 December 2022
Constituency	Diyarbakır (2018)

Personal details
Born	1984 Viransehir
Political party	HDP
Alma mater	Harran 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

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

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