MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Elih – Men kill women all around the world by finding different excuses such as their outfits or hair. The killing of Jina Mahsa Amini, 22, in Iran for “improperly wearing the hijab” and the torture and killing of the Armenian female soldier by Azerbaijani forces spark worldwide protests. In Turkey, women are killed every day. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Hatay Provincial Co-chair Hülya Ateş, an Armenian woman, thinks women should organize themselves more. She calls on women, regardless of their race, to rise up against femicide all around the world.

“We all know this mentality”

Stating that the recent killing of women in the Middle East shows many things to women, Hülya Ateş said that they, as women, closely follow what has been happening in Iran and Armenia. “Those who think that displaying a woman's body will make women ashamed of their own bodies show up in Armenia. The mentality that killed Jina Masha Amini in Iran, Anush Apetyan in Armenia and women in Turkey is the same mentality. Those who have this mentality hide their fears by killing and ignoring women over their hair and body. We all know this mentality. This is a war policy; a crime against civilians is a crime even in war policies; however, the crimes against women are not considered crimes. Those who commit crimes against women go unpunished,” she told us.

“They are afraid of organized women”

“Oppressive states are afraid of organized women; they kill women because of their fears,” Hülya Ateş said, “Women should organize more.” Hülya Ateş emphasized that they will not allow the sovereigns to make politics over women’s bodies, adding, “We, as women, promise to keep struggling without bowing down to anyone.”

“We should strengthen our solidarity”

Commenting on the protests in Iran, she said, “There is an uprising in Iran; women take to the streets, burn their hijabs and cut their hair. There is a women’s uprising in Iran now. Women living in Turkey also face pressure. We, as women, should organize ourselves and struggle. Solidarity with Iranian women should be strengthened. We should unite against the patriarchal mentality.”