MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed- Four women are killed almost every day in Turkey. However, the government does not take the necessary steps to prevent femicide. Parliamentary investigations demanding femicides and violence against women to be investigated have been summited but they have been blocked by the ruling party.

We talked to Peoples’ Democratic Party’s Women's Council member Halide Türkoğlu about ongoing violence against women and femicide.

How do you explain the reason for the increasing violence against women and femicide in Turkey?

Every day an average of three women are killed in Turkey. The number of killed women sometimes can be five. Femicide means the right to life is taken from women and it also means you are invisible in society. It is the usurpation of our labor, our rights. There is also a women’s movement saying “another world is possible” against femicide and violence against women.

Is there any impact of the ruling party on this process?

There is a sexist perspective of the AKP government that pushes back women's achievements. The sexist discourses of the ruling party affect society and increase gender-based discrimination. Those who demand equality become targets due to these sexist discourses. Another source of the issue is domestic violence. The ruling party doesn’t fulfill its duties and for this reason, domestic violence increases due to sexist discourses. All public institutions ignore women and women are told to ‘obey’ to protect the families. But we know very well that a woman cannot be comfortable even if she obeys. Men think they have the right to use violence against women. In the end, men kill women. Why? Because men think they have the right to kill. The state clearly gives men this right.

What kind of difficulties women have faced under lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic?

The main agenda of women's movements have been how to combat femicide since 2000. But during the pandemic, the achievements of women are in danger and if the government doesn’t take measures, the inequality will increase. The ruling party tried to turn this process into an opportunity by putting the Istanbul Convention on its agenda. As women, we waged a serious struggle against violence. Unfortunately, the same process will continue in 2021. The ruling party provokes male violence.

In this process, we women have a serious responsibility. If we don’t defend ourselves, we will have to be a party of violence and femicide. But as our lives are in such danger, we should be able to carry out the struggle for women wherever we are. it is necessary to act together and stop male fascism.