Dilan Babat

 

ANKARA - Saying that a woman among its members was threatened with death and rape in custody during the protest for the Istanbul Convention, UKK member Esma Çağlak summarized what needs to be done in the face of attacks aimed at suppressing women's power: ‘’A program should be created in line of the struggle of feminist self-defense.’’

 

During the AKP era, when femicides and child abuse increased so much, every area became unsecured for women. While the hostile law of the government against women started to emerge in every field, with the repeal of the Istanbul Convention, the government exposed women to the threat of "rape, murder". While women all over Turkey took to the streets for the Istanbul Convention, which was repealed on July 1, one of the members of the University Women's Collective, who took to the streets in Ankara, was threatened with "death and rape" by an unidentified person or persons on social media accounts after the protest.

 

Esma Çağlak, a member of the University Women's Collective (UKK), made evaluations about the threats against women participating in the protest.

 

‘Women’s living spaces are under attack’

 

Attributing the termination of the convention to the fear from women and the feminist movement by power, Esma noted that with the regime change, hostile policies towards women began to come to light. Esma said: ‘’The execution law, which was enacted during the pandemics, was enacted in a way that as an abducted from everyone. Thousands of laws, such as the law of the muftiate, were passed when people were at home and did not use the street. There was a policy of attacking the gains that women had made and earned for years. The Istanbul Convention was the last step of this. The Istanbul Convention was put on the agenda last August. It was later withdrawn by the strong reaction of the feminist movement. This shows that the new regime was shaped from a misogynistic point. The Istanbul Convention was abolished immediately, and we saw that various moves were made by the Ministry of Family regarding the Law No. 6284. It shows, step by step, that serious attacks on women’s lives will continue.’’

 

‘There is an organized masculinity’

 

Pointing out the violence of the police against women in the protests, Esma continued: ‘’The Ankara police in particular may be attacking us, but we know very well where they get their power from. There is a masculinity organized from one man down to the other. The President’s abolition of the convention overnight, the attempt to destroy all women's right to life, when we go downs, we come across as the perpetrators being released by the judiciary. The last time a civilian male made sexist statements to us on the street, it is completely revealed where that audacity came from. It shows that behind the torture of a plainclothes police against us, there is only one man, the regime, or the mafia state. The attack is not a personal or individual male violence, but the appearance of what we call 'male state violence'. The fact that the feminist movement is on the streets in Ankara where many social oppositions cannot go out, shows the fear of the government. There are women, feminists and LGBTI+individuals who find their own strength. In fact, it is just another way of being intimidated like other social opposition.’’

 

‘They trying to keep under control’

 

Reminding that one of the members of the University Women's Collective, who participated in the protest on July 1, when the Istanbul Convention was repealed, received threats of "death and rape" by unknown persons from digital media account, Esma said: ‘’The right to assemble and march is a constitutional right. The mission given to law enforcement is to ensure the safety of the place. While a very legal right is being exercised, our fields become a field where male violence is produced. Law enforcement officers commit crime and these crimes have evolved into 'pleasure'. From time to time, our friends' families were searched. On the way to the Istanbul rally, our families were called again. There is a situation where they are constantly trying to control us. Finally, our friend was detained during the Istanbul Convention protest. Immediately after, social media accounts were opened and threatened. The reason for this is that university women constitute a very strong dynamic of the feminist movement. We can talk about a process in which LGBTI+ individuals and women, who came with the Bosphorus process, came to be stronger. University women stand in a place that also creates the dynamic of the street. This is also seen by the state and therefore it has become a target. Three months ago, during the ‘We do not want women universities’ protest, a friend of ours was kidnapped and left in a remote corner of Ankara. We see it as an appearance of male state violence, along with a very systematic attack.’’

 

‘The line of struggle against fascism must stand in an important place’

 

Stating that male state violence cannot frighten women and LGBTI+ individuals, Esma finally said: ‘’The Istanbul Convention has been abolished. They are trying to isolate us from all areas that we are exist. We think that women should realize their own power and a program should be created in line of the struggle of feminist self-defense. From now on, the line of struggle on a legal level cannot be a real line of struggle for women. Pressing the struggle there while losing our legal rights would be like destroying the dynamic of the feminist movement. Because of this, the feminist self-defense struggle should stand in an important place, especially in front of the line of struggle against fascism.’’