Agenda of women in Turkey: November 25 and 5^th judicial reform package

277 women were murdered by men between November 2020 and October 2021 in Turkey, according to the data compiled from news outlets. The women were killed at home, in public places and in workplaces for various reasons. The murdering of women is defined as femicide or gendercide by women in Turkey. Inequality is legitimized by discriminatory policies and laws of the state. We spoke to lawyer Yelda Koçak, also a member of the Women's Platform for Equality (Eşitlik İçin Kadın Platformu-EŞİK), about the new regulations awaiting women and the year we left behind.

SARYA DENİZ/DENİZCAN ABAY

Istanbul- Women are killed all around the world for being “women”. They are killed by the men closest to them at home, in public places and in workplaces for various reasons. The style of their hair, their clothes, their smile and their stance are some reasons for men to kill women. But the killers are shown as “victims” because violence is legitimized by the state with its discriminatory policies and laws. Since Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, violence against women and the rate of femicides have been increasing in the country.

277 women were killed

277 women were killed by men, 185 more died under suspicious circumstances between November 2020 and October 2021 in Turkey, according to the report of We Will Stop Femicide Platform. Some of suspicious deaths of women were later found out that they were victims of murder. Every day, at least three women are killed in Turkey. Recently, Başak Cengiz was murdered on the street just for being a woman. “I just wanted to kill a woman,” the killer said in his statement at the police station. Women's Platform for Equality (Eşitlik İçin Kadın Platformu-EŞİK) has launched a campaign in Turkey to end violence against women and femicides. The platform has called on the parliament to organize an urgent meeting in order to discuss the increasing violence against women and femicides in the country.  We spoke to lawyer Yelda Koçak, also a member of EŞİK, about the increasing attacks on women especially after the talks for 5th judicial reform package targeting the achievements of women.

Legal process against Turkey’s withdrawal from the convention continues

Yelda Koçak summarized a year of women in Turkey. “We, as the women's movement in Turkey, lost one of the most important conventions, the Istanbul Convention in a year. Last year in November, the convention was in force but it was targeted. The people supporting the government targeted the convention. Some newspapers and associations were constantly opposing the Istanbul Convention. And Turkey withdrew from the convention by an overnight decree. But the legal process against the withdrawal from the convention continues. While the legal process is going on, the person who withdrew from the convention continues to intimidate, insult and target us by saying, ‘From now on, our women should react against whoever utters a sentence that starts with the Istanbul Convention.’ He tries to threaten women, LGBTI+s and the entire society that supports the Istanbul Convention. But his threats cannot intimidate us. We keep speaking out and struggle against the withdrawal from the convention,” she told us.

“Amendments of articles show that we will face worse days”

The draft of the 5th judicial reform package, which was prepared as part of the Human Rights Action Plan announced in March 2021 was submitted to the Turkish parliament by the AKP. Yelda Koçak talked about the new judicial reform package and said, “We, as women, have faced many dangers and one of them is the 5^th judicial reform package, which was recently announced. Because there is no regulation on how to ensure the safety of women and children in the package. We know very well that women are killed and subjected to violence while dropping off and picking up their children from school. They are killed in front of courthouses when they go there to file for divorce. For this reason, women’s organizations should join discussions on the amendment of articles.”

EŞİK has 5 urgent demands

EŞİK has recently announced its five demands. “We announced our five demands. One of them is to not give up the right to equal citizenship. We say women and men are equal before laws. According to the Constitution of the Republic of Turkey, everyone has the right to life and the right to protect and develop his/her material and spiritual entity. Men are rewarded with immunity while women, who kill abusive men in self-defense, are given prison sentences. We demand the end of misogynistic speeches. Women shouldn’t be subjected to insults and humiliation anymore,” Yelda Koçak said.

“We need an emergency action plan against violence”

Another demand of the EŞİK is the implementation of an emergency action plan to prevent physical, economic, sexual and psychological violence against women. “Recently, Başak Cengiz was murdered on the street just for being a woman. ‘I just wanted to kill a woman,’ the killer said in his statement at the police station,” Yelda Koçak said, “Women are killed and targeted in this country for being women. We need an emergency action plan to be implemented against violence.”

EŞİK also demands equal, free, accessible education for everybody in the country and equal employment conditions for women. “We demand equal employment conditions for women. We also demand equal representation in decision-making positions. The gender quota in Turkey is 35% and this rate is an insult against women. All obstacles against equal employment must be removed,” Yelda Koçak told us.

Activities of EŞİK to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

Talking about the activists of EŞİK to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, Yelda Koçak said, “We have held many panels, actions and protests in cities. We raise our voices stronger together. We also know very well that the real main opposition in Turkey today is the women's movement. We call on women to raise their voices, take to the streets and protect their rights on November 25."

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