ISTANBUL - Representatives of women's organizations stated that the detentions made in Istanbul aimed to criminalize women's work and emphasized that their struggle is justified and legitimate.

 

In the house raids carried out in Istanbul on January 16, 21 people, including Women's Time Association President Dilek Başalan, Free Women's Movement (TJA) activists, Mothers for Peace and Mezopotamya Cultural Center (MKM) artists, were detained. 

Women who were subjected to police violence are still being held in the Provincial Police Department. In police statements, women were asked about TJA's activities, 8 March International Women's Day events and 25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women actions. Names from women's organizations in Istanbul reacted to the detentions of women.

 

WHY ARE WOMEN ON THE TARGET?

 

Rüya Kurtuluş from the Women's Defense Network stated that the government's attacks on women continue and that women in the Kurdish freedom movement are among those affected by these attacks. Recalling the detention operations against TJA, Kurtuluş said: "The basis of this policy lies in the misogyny that the AKP is trying to establish. Women do not accept the rules and impositions of this order. They refuse to be a 'reasonable woman'. They refuse to give birth to 3 children and stay at home. Therefore, this is very important for the government. It is dangerous and that is why political women become priority targets. We are in solidarity against the attacks and we will eliminate these attacks by fighting together. We want our friends to be released as soon as possible."

 

'INPREMITION POLICIES WILL NOT HELP'

 

Tülay Korkutan from the Kırkyama Women's Association said that the government resorts to a new operation every time it is in trouble. 

Emphasizing that women's struggle is being tried to be criminalized with the operations, Korkutan said: "In the video published by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the doors of our friends' houses are broken, they are handcuffed behind their backs and their heads are tried to bend. None of our friends did anything other than carrying out democratic politics. Our friend Dilek Başalan from the Women's Time Association was the victim of violence. She is in an association that provides psychological and legal support to women. She shows solidarity with women against man violence. With these operations, the political power is trying to intimidate the women's struggle, the DEM Party and to intimidate the public base. This policy itself has not caught on anywhere and will not catch on."

 

'OUR STRUGGLE IS JUSTIFIED AND LEGITIMATE'

 

Stating that 4 women are murdered every day in Turkey, Korkutan said: “Women are going through a period when harassment, rape and child abuse are at their peak. The managers of women's associations fighting against this situation were detained and the man perpetrators were walking around freely outside. Evaluating the attacks against women as ‘the reflection of the male mind’. As we go to the local elections, the AKP wants to maintain their power with their war policy and political genocide operations. We will never allow our women's struggle to be reflected as if it has no legitimacy with these operations and pressures. Our struggle is justified and legitimate. There are women who resist the political power's oppression and war policy, and the Kurds who do not bow down. That's why we have hope."

 

'DO NOT TALK' MESSAGE IS GIVEN'

 

Gamze Taşçı from Women's Liberation said that the detained women were specifically targeted. Taşçı said: "A word is said about the struggle of women regarding social problems and especially the isolation system in İmralı, which disturbs the government. Targeting those who are on the Justice Watch in the recent detentions means sending a message about the struggle. The government is saying, 'Do not open your mouth about the isolation and prisons.’ It gives the message 'don't talk about this, don't talk about the colonialists, don't talk about what your people are going through.'" 

 

'WE WILL CONTINUE SOLIDARITY'

 

Taşçı said: "As women's organizations in Turkey, we will continue to show solidarity with the Kurdish women's movement. I think we will overcome the attacks on women's institutions in solidarity together. This also means that we will become stronger in the fight against patriarchy and capitalism in Turkey. For us, solidarity with the Kurdish women's movement means determining our own line of freedom and liberation."

 

MA / Esra Solin Dal