Amed- 40-year-old Garip Turhan makes a living from her toast house. She has been working at many jobs for years to take care of herself and her children. Garip has not given up the struggle for life despite the difficulties she has faced and she calls on women to stand on their own legs.

Toast and soup are sold in a small kiosk stall called “Pepûle (Butterfly)” located in Sur district of Diyarbakır. Garip Turhan is raising her three children from the income she gets from this kiosk stall. Garip’s story began when she got married at 14 and came from Adana province to Sur district. Garip Turhan has faced many difficulties such as clashes, displacement, and employment in Sur district where she has lived for years. She has been alone since her husband was put in prison for political reasons. Garip Turhan began to work in Sur Municipality but after the state-appointed a trustee to the municipality in place of an elected mayor, she was fired by the state-appointed trustee. After becoming unemployed, she struggled for her life by working in a greengrocer then working as a waiter in a café and seasonal worker.

“I stand on my own legs”

Garip Turhan said that she has been working for 15 years. She opened a toast house called “Pepûle (Butterfly)” and she has sold toast and soup to make a living. Although she is tired of working for years, she keeps standing on her own legs. “Self-confidence is something different. Working and meeting your needs without asking for any helps from someone is good. Isn’t it difficult? Yes, it is but we should be able to do this. We should stand on our own legs.  I think women should be able to be self-sufficient without asking for help from anyone. We should know what our responsibilities are. If you have a responsibility you should stand on your own legs,” said Garip.

“I work for my children”

Garip says the only thing she thought when she stood alone with her three children was to stand on her own legs, and she told what she faced as follows; “I have faced many things. If someone asks me to tell my story, I will say, “I don’t know” after thinking for a minute. Sometimes, I tell myself how I manage to carry this burden. When my husband was put in prison, my son was two years old and he lived being connected to a machine due to lung failure. I didn’t want to stay in someone's house along with three children after my husband was put in prison. I stood up and began to work for my children. Sometimes it takes a good fall to really know when you should stand up.”

“It is necessary to work in every aspect of life”

Garip Turhan thinks that people should work for their own lives, regardless of whether they are men or women. She said, “People should earn their own money no matter their gender. We keep living but our life should be full of labor. We should struggle not only in house or streets but also inside ourselves.”