Marta Sömek

 

ISTANBUL - Stating that the massacres have not stopped since the 1915 Genocide in which Armenian, Syriac, and Pontians were massacred, women said that the last example of racist attacks and massacres, which women, children, and millions of people were subjected to, is Deniz Poyraz.

 

The reactions to the murder of Deniz Poyraz by Onur Gencer in the racist attack on the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) İzmir Provincial Organization on 17 June continue. Women from different peoples made evaluations on the subject. We talked to Armenian Kayuş Çalıkman Gavrilof, Syriac Sariya and Greek Katrin Nikolao who live in Turkey.

 

‘We are never given a chance to forget our pains’

 

Armenian Kayuş Çalıkman Gavrilof said about the murder of Deniz: ‘’We think of such massacres regardless of ethnic identity, but the existing wounds definitely have an effect.’’ Noting that the massacres and methods have been repeated in the same way for centuries, Kayuş said: ‘’We are never given a chance to forget our pains. First, there is an instigation, and after the instigation, murder is committed. Moreover, the victim is blamed, not the perpetrator. After the murder comes denial.’’

 

‘They are trying to clear the perpetrator and what happened’

 

Kayuş stated that the perpetrator was protected and guarded by saying, ‘’It’s s as if this is an article written by an invisible law.’’ She said that the system of ‘’instigate, kill, then watch for the shooter and murderer and declare the victim guilty’’ has been implemented since the period of Abdülhamid. Pointing out that there has been a massacre as it has been for hundreds of years, Kayuş said: ‘’You cannot mourn, you cannot show the necessary respect, and they are trying to cllear the perpetrator and what happened. The event of not being able to mourn is very important, it is a systematic thing, I am experiencing the impact and pain of my historical past at an even greater dose.’’

 

‘It does not even give you a chance to live your sadness’

 

Stating that the massacres have not stopped since the 1915 Genocide in which Armenian, Syriac, and Pontians were massacred, Kayuş said that the last example of racist attacks and massacres, which women, children, and millions of people were subjected to, is Deniz Poyraz. Kayuş continued: ‘’It both hurts you and does not even allow you to live your sadness.’’

 

‘Why is this misogyny?’

 

Kayuş stated that the Istanbul Convention would be repealed on July 1, and this would pave the way for new massacres. Regarding the convention, Kayuş said: ‘’There is a word where the word ends, we live it exactly, one cannot understand it, why is this misogyny? Everyone took to the streets and reacted on social media regarding the abolition of the Istanbul Convention, which protects women, but this government is such a government that it is not able to listen to anything. It is like the fruit saying what I am going to do when I falls. That fruit will fall anyway. Power is in an idea that the person I think as an enemy I will do whatever harm I can until the last moment.’’

 

‘It is not over! This system will surely collapse’

 

While pointing out that the male-dominated state structure has permeated the society, Kayuş said: ‘’We are in such a situation that even 50-60 years are not enough to recuperate us. All the evils sprang up, permeated the people and their characters, they destroyed society sociologically.’’ Emphasizing that LGBTI+ individuals, women, Armenians, Kurds, Syriacs, Lazs and all peoples demand their rights and these demands do not end, Kayuş stated: ‘It is not over! Women are in revolt at any moment, this system will collapse, of course it will explode and collapse, we are just waiting for this.’’

 

‘Another mother’s heart burned’

 

Expressing that as a Syriac woman, they expressed their reactions to every murdered person regardless of their origin, Syriac Sariya underlined that she condemns all kinds of violence against women. Sariya said: ‘’We lost a young woman, we express our condolences to her family, another mother’s heart has been burned’’ and stated that there has been no development since 1915. Sariya emphasized that the violence has increased more due to the fact that the perpetrators have not been given deterrent punishments in a few years. Stating that the Istanbul Convention is a protection and shield for women living in Turkey, Sariya made the following call: ‘’As a Syriac woman living in Turkey, I also have daughters. I will send my daughters to school with fear the day after tomorrow. All women with me will raise their children and live with this fear, for this we need to keep the convention alive, we should keep it alive!’’

 

Finally, Sariya called for women to stand up and act, said: ‘’Even women in power are not happy with this situation. Everyone suffers from the murder of a woman; this process must end.’’

 

‘Similar to the Hrant Dink massacre’

 

Greek Katrin Nikolao also said about the attack against HDP and Deniz, who was murdered, ‘’’The Deniz Poyraz incident hurt me a lot. Making people angry and taking to the streets, threaten, fearing, and intimidating Kurds and other peoples, these are provocations.’’ Drawing attention to the protection of Onur Gencer, the perpetrator who murdered Deniz, Katrin made the following assessments: ‘’To empowering, praising and encouraging the private militias trained by our taxes is evident from the perpetrator’s statement that ‘let release me’. This incident is similar to the Hrant Dink massacre.’’

 

‘Women were discredited under AKP rule’

 

Stating that peoples have paid a great price in this geography and continue to pay, Katrin said: ‘’It is a shame, they are made to hate. I am very sad that a young woman paid this price.’’ Pointing to the importance of the Istanbul Convention in the fight against violence, Katrin emphasized: ‘’The Convention is almost an insurance for women against violence’’. Katrin evaluated that the women were discredited during the 20-year AKP rule.’’

 

‘All rights won through women’s struggle will be ignored’

 

Katrin emphasized that although it is a very comprehensive document with legal binding, the Istanbul Convention, which protects refugee and migrant women and children and covers LGBTI+ individuals rights, is a human rights document. Finally, Katrin added that with the abolition of the convention, all the rights gained through women's struggle will be ignored.’’