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National News Flashes - Turkey
Following the Hopa Case: the Turkish government tries to instigate misogyny and discrimination against women
There has been a struggle against HES (hydroelectric plants) in order to protect the soil, water and streams in Hopa, Artvin for a long time. The people in Hopa have been reacting to the government's HES projects. On the 31st May in the meeting about elections, the people in Hopa wanted to protest against the Prime Minister, Tayyip Erdoğan, to demonstrate their demands and show their reactions about HESs. During the protests, police used excessive levels of pepper spray and caused a retired teacher, Metin Lokumcu's death.
Following this violence, lots of protests and reactions against the death of Lokumcu were held, first in Ankara and Istanbul and then all over the country. In these protests, police fired a lot of pepper gas and detained lots of people also in Ankara. After the demonstrations, undercover police officers lay in ambush and attacked the member of the Central Executive Committee of People's Houses', Dilşat Aktaş, and broke her thighbone. She has received a medical report stating that she is incapable of working for 6 months and her treatment will last more than 6 months according to doctors. To make matters worse, while answering journalist questions about this police attack on Aktaş, The Turkish Prime Minister said that “ I watched her on TV in demonstrations, I didn’t know whether she is a woman or a girl...” and made a great “contribution” to discrimination against women and misogyny and attacked all of us on behalf of Aktaş.
Turkish government legitimate abuse, violence and torture over the commodification of women’s bodies
The government has not stopped, and the attacks on demonstrators have continued on purpose, systematically and unlimitedly. Our friends who were under custody faced inhumane treatments. During custody, especially women were tortured both physically and psychologically and also were abused verbally and physically by police officers.
Women were targeted by the government itself in Turkey. After all these events, officials did not fulfill their duties; instead they ignored this situation and did not conduct an investigation while also laundering the criminal and thus justifying the crime. Exploiters and torturers made the most of this situation. All of these turned into an insulting attack on the women in struggle.
The discrimination against women and misogyny was maintained by the government itself in Turkey. Violence against women has been increasing dramatically day by day. At least 5 women are murdered every day. The violence against women has increased 1400% during the AKP government (Justice and Development Party – the ruling party in Turkey for 9 years). Instead of taking precautions, Prime Minister continues with his conservative, reactionary and sexist statements. He assaults journalists, intellectuals, writers, anti-racists, and all those who are against him. He fosters misogyny. He targets all women who are against him. He says “I do not believe in gender equality”; he says “marriage and motherhood are the only alternatives for women”, he also says “women should have at least 3 children” and finally he says “Anyone who wants electoral quotas for women may go to Rwanda”. He ignores the rights that women have struggled for years to win.
He makes women's bodies, labour and identities worthless; he deepens gender inequality, sees women as second-class people and second-class citizens. Despite all struggles against the decision, the prime minister announced that the “Ministry for Women and Family” will be replaced by the “Ministry of Family and Social Policies” by adding his opinions that “ We are a conservative party and the family is much more important for us.”
The government, which destroys all humane living conditions in Turkey, aims to maintain this capitalist system based on looting and exploitation by making women submissive slaves to men, bosses and reactionary communities.
We, as the opponent women living in Turkey, call on all the world's women to raise their voices against the AKP and the Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoğan's misogynist policies and discrimination against women in Turkey!
Women on the March until we are all free!!
Women from People's Houses
Women from People's Houses
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