ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Turkey’s pro-Kurdish Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) on Thursday strongly criticized racist and sexist chants directed at prominent Kurdish politician Leyla Zana during a recent Turkish football match, urging authorities to take action.

Footage circulating on social media showed fans chanting racist and sexist slogans against Kurdish politician Zana during the Somaspor-Bursaspor match in Turkey on Tuesday, with the crowd jeering “Wh*re Leyla Zana, wh*re Leyla Zana, wh*re Leyla Zana.”

The DEM Party in a statement on Thursday said, “We condemn in the strongest terms the sexist attack and hate speech against women in the person of Leyla Zana.”

The pro-Kurdish party urged “the relevant ministries and institutions to take responsibility against this language of hatred, the latest example of which we witnessed in the stands.”

It further described the chants as indicative of “a male-dominated, racist, and fascist mentality.”

Although the event has received widespread criticism from politicians, public figures, and rights groups, with the majority condemning the use of hate speech against Kurds, no official statement or action from Ankara has been issued yet.

Veteran Kurdish politician Ahmet Turk, speaking to local media in Diyarbakır about the event, said, “This insult is against all of us. It is an insult against all Kurds,” Welat Agency reported.

Turk added the insult “is a sign of racism.”

A renewed peace process has been initiated since October last year by Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to end the four-decade-long conflict with the Turkish state.

“Discrimination and hate speech must be regulated as a separate section within criminal law,” the DEM Party said.

Offensive chants targeting Kurds have occurred at previous matches in Turkey.

In October, during a Europa League match, an altercation broke out between VFB Stuttgart forward Deniz Undav, who was born to a Yazidi family from Turkey’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, and Fenerbahce player Ismail Yuksek. Fenerbahce fans directed sexist and racist chants at Undav during the match, drawing widespread criticism and attention on social media.