News Center- The Progressive Women’s Association (Turkish: İlerici Kadınlar Derneği, İKD) has released a written statement about the recent elections held in Turkey. “We face the most rightist and reactionary parliament in the history of the Republic,” the statement said.

Recalling that women’s rights were made a matter of negotiation by some political parties before the elections, the statement said, “While those who approved the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and advocated for legal status of the secs have entered the parliament from the election list of the Nation Alliance, the People's Alliance paved the way for the misogynist HÜDA-PAR and New Welfare Party to win seats in the parliament. While these parties (HÜDA-PAR and New Welfare Party) oppose the Law No. 6284 (The law on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence Against Women), the HÜDA-PAR defends the adoption of single women, single-sex education and that women must work in workplaces, where there are only women.”

‘They will target the civil code’

The statement pointed out that Law No. 6284 has been targeted since the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.

“The reactionaries intensify the oppression and darkness on women. HÜDA-PAR leader has made many statement defending child marriage and opposing the Law No. 6284. The next move of the reactionaries will be the civil code. They will target the civil code. During the rallies held by AKP’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made speeches targeting citizens having different sexual orientation and his speeches revealed that he supports the program of the HÜDA-PAR. We face the most rightist and reactionary parliament in the history of the Republic,” the statement said.

Pointing out that the oppression on women will increase in this process in which secularism is disregarded, women's rights are made a matter of negotiation by the electoral alliances, and radical Islamists gain representation in the parliament, the statement said, “We face a dark tableau targeting our gained rights.”

 We can take our rights by struggling’

“The centuries-old women’s struggle will stand firm against the dark mindset as it did in the past,” the statement said, “We will keep struggling for a bright country. What will save women from this dark tableau is to raise the flag of secularism against those who defend child marriage and those who attack women’s rights! We are millions and we know that we can take our rights by struggling. We know our power is our united organization. Hope is in our organized power. Now it is time to strengthen our organized struggle.”