MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU/GÜLNUŞ ERGÜL

Elih – The Free Women’s Movement (Tevgere Jinên Azad -TJA) held its 4th conference in Batman with the motto, “We are determined against fascism and insist on freedom”. 700 delegates across Turkey and Kurdistan participated in the conference by wearing their colorful clothes and with smiling faces. During the conference, the participants often chanted the “Jin jiyan azadî (Women, Life, Freedom)” slogan. NuJINHA interviewed several women participating in the conference.

“We came here to be in solidarity with Kurdish women”

Newroz Tuğçe Özçelik, a member of the Women's Defense Network (Turkish: Kadın Savunma Ağı), came from Istanbul to participate in the conference. “We came here to be in solidarity with Kurdish women,” she said, “Serious war policies are carried out against women in the world and Turkey. The conference reveals the universal women's struggle once again.”

“They want women to stay at home”

“We came here to be in solidarity with the Kurdish women's movement and Kurdish women in four parts of Kurdistan. We know that femicide is a crime all over the world. Two weeks ago, Jina was killed in Iran because her hair was seen. The aim of the patriarchal mentality that kills women is to force women to stay at home. We came here for freedom and equality against this mentality. Because, we struggle for our freedom and equality in the west along with Kurdish women.”

“Women will save forests, nature and mountains”

Underlining that not only women but also the people and nature are under attack in the Kurdish region, Newroz Tuğçe Özçelik, “The cutting of trees in Şırnak for months shows how nature is under attack. They hate everything and everyone. They hate women, trees and languages. They cut the trees in Şırnak and destroyed Hasankeyf for ‘security’ reasons because they do not care about any living creatures. Despite these reasons, we say freedom, equality and an ecological life. We think women play an important role in struggling against such reasons. Women will save forests, nature, mountains and this country.”

“We will take to the streets against femicide”

Pervin Tumbul also came from Istanbul in order to participate in the conference. She said that she was honored to be able to participate in the conference as a member of the TJA. “We participated in this conference with great enthusiasm. We will strengthen our struggle with this enthusiasm. The number of femicide cases increases every day. Women’s bodies are exhibited. One of our sisters was killed in Iran. We, as women, will take to the streets against femicide. We will struggle with the strength we get from the conference.”

“We came here to shout out our just struggle”

The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Eskişehir Provincial Co-chair Şükriye Ercan also participated in the conference. “Thousands of organized women are here today and this is very important. Shouting out the importance of the women's struggle, the struggle of the Kurdish freedom movement and women’s just struggle is very important for all of us. We tried to express our just and legitimate struggle here once again. Today, Kurdish women face pressure, oppression and the policy of denial. Today, thousands of our friends are behind bars. We have participated in the conference to shout out that women’s political participation is not forbidden, and that the women's struggle is a legitimate and just struggle. We have participated in the conference to demand freedom not only for Kurdish people but also all women in the country.”

“I cannot describe the happiness I feel”

Peace Mothers’ initiative member Şadiye Akti came from Van to participate in the conference. She felt very happy when she saw so many women participating in the conference. “All people around the world should unite to end the killing of mothers and women. Women should resist not to be killed. When I was on my way from Van, I was sad because I thought the number of women participating in the conference would be less. I felt very happy when I saw the enthusiasm of many women and young people. I cannot describe the happiness I feel today.”