Semra Güzel

{{Short description|Turkish politician (born 1984)}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Semra Güzel

| birth_date = 1984

| birth_place = Viransehir

| office = {{GNAT MP}}

| termstart = 8 July 2018

| term_end = 23 December 2022

| constituency1 = Diyarbakır (2018)

| alma_mater = Harran University

| party = HDP

}}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.{{Cite web |date=2022-12-23 |title=Jailed pending trial, pro-Kurdish politician loses seat in Turkish parliament |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/jailed-pending-trial-pro-kurdish-politician-loses-seat-turkish-parliament-2022-12-23/ |access-date=2023-02-11 |website=Reuters |language=EN}}

Early life and education

She was born in Viransehir in the province of Sanliurfa where she attended primary and secondary education.{{Cite web|title=TÜRKİYE BÜYÜK MİLLET MECLİSİ|url=https://www5.tbmm.gov.tr//develop/owa/milletvekillerimiz_sd.bilgi?p_donem=27&p_sicil=7618|access-date=2022-01-26|website=www5.tbmm.gov.tr}} She graduated from the University of Harran where she studied medicine. 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.{{Cite web|date=11 January 2022|title=Parliamentary Speaker says HDP's Güzel 'should be stripped of legislative immunity'|url=https://bianet.org/english/politics/256037-parliamentary-speaker-says-hdp-s-guzel-should-be-stripped-of-legislative-immunity|access-date=26 January 2022|website=Bianet}} In 2012, she followed up on her studies at the Anesthetics and Reanimation department of the Gazi Yasargil Hospital in Diyarbakir. Additionally, she served as Member of the Board and co-chair in the Medical Chamber of Diyarbakir.

Political career

She was elected to the Turkish Parliament in the parliamentary elections of 2018, representing the HDP for Diyarbakir.{{Cite web|last=Şafak|first=Yeni|date=2022-01-26|title=Diyarbakır Seçim Sonuçları - Genel Seçim 2018 Diyarbakır Sonucu|url=https://www.yenisafak.com/secim-2018/diyarbakir-ili-secim-sonuclari|access-date=2022-01-26|website=Yeni Şafak|language=tr-TR}} 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{{Cite web|date=2020-01-16|title=Health Ministry scrutinized over lack of Kurdish-language services|url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/politics/2020/01/16/health-ministry-scrutinized-over-lack-of-kurdish-language-services|access-date=2022-01-26|website=Gazete Duvar}} 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.{{Cite web|date=25 January 2019|title=Parliamentary Question Regarding Exclusion of Kurdish from 17-Language Health Card|url=https://m.bianet.org/bianet/society/204832-parliamentary-question-regarding-exclusion-of-kurdish-from-17-language-health-card|website=Bianet}} 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.{{Cite web|date=2022-01-20|title=CHP to vote in favor of lifting HDP deputy Güzel's immunity|url=https://www.dailysabah.com/politics/war-on-terror/chp-to-vote-in-favor-of-lifting-hdp-deputy-guzels-immunity|access-date=2022-01-26|website=Daily Sabah|language=en-US}} 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.

= 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.{{Cite web |date=2022-02-09 |title=Turkish police detain HDP MP Semra Güzel |url=https://www.duvarenglish.com/turkish-police-detain-hdp-mp-semra-guzel-news-61209 |access-date=2022-09-04 |website=Gazete Duvar |language=tr-TR}} Imprisoned, she was dismissed from parliament, for not attending its sessions in December 2022.{{Cite web |title=HDP deputy Güzel stripped of her parliamentary seat |url=https://anfenglishmobile.com/news/hdp-deputy-guzel-stripped-of-her-parliamentary-seat-64464 |access-date=2022-12-23 |website=Firat News Agency |language=en}}

Personal life

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

References