A video showing feminist writer Konca Kuriş under apparent duress, filmed by the extremist group that killed her, has surfaced on social media, sparking outrage among feminist groups and women’s rights advocates, Stockholm Center for Freedom reported.
In the video, feminist writer Kuriş is seen praising the Kurdish Hizbullah, the group responsible for her kidnapping and murder, which critics argue was a coerced statement and its display is a disrespect to her memory.
The video was shared by the television and movie platform Gain as part of a longer documentary by journalist Cüneyt Özdemir.
Hizbullah is a deadly group backed by Iran that seeks to establish an Iranian-style mullah regime in Turkey. It was set up in the ’80s but made a name for itself in the ’90s, when it recruited mostly Kurds in southeastern Turkey and was supported by some elements of the Turkish intelligence, military and police establishments against the outlawed PKK.
They were brutal in their murders, kidnapping moderate Muslims and executing them after torturing them in rooms built under safe houses. The highly secretive military wing was structured as independent cells, capable of executing assassinations and terrorist attacks. It had three-men groups that were trained in target identification, survival techniques, bomb making and intelligence gathering.
The group, however, faced a huge crackdown in early 2001 after the death of its leader, Hüseyin Velioğlu, in a clash with police during a raid on a safe house in Istanbul on January 17, 2000. He was trained in Iran. In total 2,813 Hizbullah members were detained in police operations, and many, including Gümüş, were tried and convicted of terrorism offenses and sent to prison
Kuriş, a conservative Muslim and feminist, was a prominent advocate for women’s rights and social equity. On July 16, 1998, she was kidnapped by Hizbullah militants in Mersin province and subjected to torture. Her body was discovered in January 2020 in the basement of a house in Konya. Forensic investigations revealed that wet concrete had been poured over her while she was still alive, highlighting the harrowing nature of her death.
In a statement posted on the social media platform X, the Havle Women’s Association said they would not re-share the Kuriş video out of respect for her.
“Sharing the video is a step towards normalizing violence towards women. Kuriş was filmmed under coercion and we will absolutely not re-share the video,” they said. “We will continue Kuriş’s fight for gender equity and we will keep her memory alive.”
Journalists and lawyers said it was unbelievably sad to see the video, knowing the perpetrators of her murder ultimately walked free. Between 2011 and 2019, more than 100 Hizbullah militants were released, effectively leaving no members of the extremist group in prison.
All convicted and charged Hizbullah members have been released from jail thanks to Erdoğan’s reshuffling of the judiciary, through which Islamists were put into key positions.
Some social media users said the video should be a reminder that such extremists are still among us and allied with the ruling Justice and Development Party government, referring to the radical Islamist Free Cause Party (HÜDA-PAR), the political arm of Hizbullah.
In the last general election, on March 14, 2023, HÜDA-PAR secured four seats in parliament and has been making demands, such as gender-segregated schools, a nationwide ban on public alcohol consumption and abolishing Law No. 6284, related to the prevention of violence against women.