News Center- Women gathered in Van, Amed and Istanbul for Mahsa Amini, who was tortured to death by Iranian morality police for improperly wearing the hijab. In Amed, the members of the Dicle Amed Women's Platform (DAKP) gathered to issue a statement with the participation of many women, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Muş PM Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit. They held placards in Turkish, Kurdish and Persian reading, “No to femicide”.

“We salute the resisting women in Iran”

Gülistan Kılıç Koçyiğit made a speech and said, “We are dragged on the ground for everything we do. They try to confine us to home and kill us because we demand freedom. Gendered sovereign powers try to block us everywhere. In this country, the policies of the AKP kill women. We know this mentality from the killing of Ekin Van, Mother Taybet (Taybet İnan) and İpek Er. The AKP and MHP government and its night watchmen will not be able to prevent women's freedom. We, as the Kurdish women, salute the resisting women in Iran. As Kurdish women and resisting women all around the world, we will build another world by saying that another world is possible. Iranian women shouted the ‘jin jiyan azadi (Women, life, freedom)’ when they buried our sister (Mahsa Amini). Long live women’s solidarity.”

Dicle Amed Women’s Platform spokesperson Kıymet Yıldır also made a speech. In her speech, she recalled the killing of Armenian soldier Anush Apetyan (36), who was captured alive by Azerbaijani forces during the conflict that broke out between Armenian forces and Azerbaijani forces between September 13 and 14.

“The sharia ignores the women’s struggle for their identity, tries to put them in certain taboos by suppressing the will of women. The male-dominated reactionary mentality in Iran, which sees women as if they are objects, has killed many women who did not bow to its dark mentality with inhuman practices. The women resisting the mandatory hijab wearing in the Middle East face severe punishments almost every day. In Iran, Armenia, Syria, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, in our own country and all around the world, women’s rights, freedom are under attack, women face death, violence, poverty, migration and suffering. Women should use their right to self-defense against the state-male violence.

March in Istanbul

The Democratic Student Council (DÖM) held a march from Bomonti metro station in Istanbul’s Osmanbey neighborhood to the Feriköy Avenue to protest the killing of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian morality police.

DÖM member Nazgül Çamur said, “Mahsa Amini, 22, who was tortured to death by the police in Iran is the embodiment of the prohibitive and misogynistic mentality that has been going on for 43 years. We will continue to rise up against femicide. We know those who ignore our will and identity. Society cannot be liberated without women's liberation.”

Women in Van: “Women, Life, Freedom”, “Women are not afraid”

The Free Women’s Movement (TJA), Democratic Regions Party (DBP), Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Women’s Council and STAR Women’s Association held a joint press conference in Van. The women, who gathered in Sanat Street of Van’s İpekyolu district were supported by the members of the Van Women’s Platform.

HDP Tuşba District Co-chair Hanım Akkuş read the statement on behalf of the women. “The understanding considering the hair of a woman as honor and morality shows its weakness. We, as women, tell the Mullahs, who try to sustain their dictatorial regime; we do not accept your dirty mentality, we promise to resist this fascist mentality all over the world. Our struggle against the attacks of the male-dominated system all over the world will continue. We condemn the killing of women all over the world and call on women once again to struggle against the male-dominated system.”

After the statement, the women shouted slogans such as “Women, Life, Freedom” and “Women are not afraid”.