TJA Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan, who has been working for women’s struggle for 35 years, was sent to prison yesterday. She has been detained 3 times and more than 200 investigations have been opened against her. An arrest warrant was issued against her on January 27, 2021. Yesterday, Ayşe Gökkan stood trial and she said, “I am under torture because I am a Kurd and a woman. I struggle against it, I resist.  Nobody can consider this as a crime.” We interviewed Ayşe Gökkan before her imprisonment and we share the interview with you.

New Center- Yesterday, Free Women’s Movement (TJA) spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan was sent to prison with the allegation of 'being member and manager of an [terrorist] organization by 9th High Criminal Court in Diyarbakır.

During the hearing, Ayşe Gökkan said that she has faced pressure for years for being a Kurd and woman. She said, 

“I have been waging women's struggle for 35 years. I took part in works for women before the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) was founded. Did I receive the instructions from who before the KCK was founded? One of the witnesses who testified against me took part in the same women's works like me. How didn’t she commit a crime but I did. I fought against militarism and male-dominated mentality, I am still fighting. Why do I take part in the women's struggle? When I went to primary school, the teacher hit my nails on the head with a stick because I spoke Kurdish. I have never forgotten and will not forget the pain. Since the first day, I started school, I have been under torture because I am a Kurd and a woman. I struggle against it, I resist. Nobody can consider this as a crime. We are also told that we receive instructions from men. No men can give us instructions.”

Stating that the indictment prepared against her is sexist and racist, Ayşe Gökkan said that despite numerous investigations opened against her, she did not run away, she would not run away and she would keep fighting for women’s struggle.

She stood trial many times

Ayşe Gökkan had previously been held in prison for eight months due to the same case and was released. Ayşe Gökkan is a woman waging women's struggle for 35 years. She was elected as Nusaybin Municipality mayor after local elections took place in Turkey on March 29, 2009. She is known for her works with party assemblies of the People's Democracy Party (HADEP), Democratic People's Party (DEHAP). She also worked as a columnist for many newspapers and magazines. She is also well known for her researches on femicide. She has been detained 83 times and 215 cases have opened against her until now.

We interviewed Ayşe Gökkan before her imprisonment and we share the interview with you;

 ‘While patriarchy changed its cover, we prepared for life’

TJA Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan states that the patriarchal character of the 20th century is being used against women by changing its cover in the 21st century and that different women's dynamics arising around the world have been organizing by bringing their agendas together. Gökkan says women create change and transformation together.

 Women's struggles that started with street protests by small groups in the 18th century have now turned into a form that provides effectiveness within the framework of local, regional and international organizations. We asked Tevgera Jinên Azad (Free Women's Movement), Spokesperson Ayşe Gökkan, the results of the character of the identity struggle, its changing conditions, its advantages, and its disadvantages.

What is the character of the 20th century and its consequences?

All struggling women in the 21st century and as the Free Women's Movement (TJA), we have been organizing a women's struggle for freedom in the Middle East for nearly 40 years. We are the witnesses of both the 20th century and 21st century. Our movement embraces both centuries. In the 20th century, the struggling character of Kurdish women living in the Middle East and women living in Europe was not the same. We did not know about the feminist struggle in Europe; because we were living in Kurdistan. There was an ongoing hard war here. Turkish regime imposed sanctions on all-region. Nobody knew what was going on here. Our job was to report what was going on. In the 20th century, the century we started struggling, namely, in the '80s and '90s, the struggling character appeared with Sakine Cansız. Sakine created the struggling character at that time. Sakine Cansız was both a revolutionary woman, a woman in prison, and she was a woman taking part in the foundation of the PKK. Her character became the character of women’s struggle.

Women displayed the patriarchal character of the 20th century

The character of the 20th century; the situation in the Soviets ( Today’s Russia) was in mess and it was called, ‘The Cold War’. During that time, America knew that it had an influence on Russia. It wanted to defeat Russia and become the only power. America wanted to make degenerate all shaped revolutions. Socialism had a big impact. Socialism was a danger for America that wanted to make degenerate the revolution. Although socialism had its influence and made freedom possible, the regions affected by it became the nation-state. The influence of socialism in nation-states had diminished. The revolution had a significant impact, but after it was collapsed it left a great impact. For that reason, in the 20th century, women stated that all nation-states, real socialism, states, democracy, and laws had a patriarchal structure. Not only us, but socialist feminists and radical feminists made the determination of the 20th century like that. The character of the 20th century became clearer. But in the character of the 21st century, hegemony has changed and transformed itself in all its parts. I mention this negatively. Compared to the 20th century, the 21st century is not a successful century. It disappeared in the presence of dynamics demanding freedom.

What kinds of opportunities did the changing conditions, advantages, and disadvantages in the 21st century give the women's struggle?

We exhibited the patriarchal character of the 21st century faster than the 20th century. The media field was advanced more and it had an impact, it brought us all together. We were able to access the works of women around the world faster. In addition, the resistance in our region, women's resistance, and the struggle for freedom started taking place in the world. They talked about resisting and revolutionary women. The struggle for freedom and resistance in Kurdistan began being recognized. This is the character of the 21st century for us.

Hezbollah in the 20th century and ISIS in the 21st century

This is why revolutionary peoples in the world make their self-defense by using weapons in the 21st century; particularly in Kurdistan. There is no 40-year struggle anywhere in the world. We can show Kurdistan as the only place performing self-defense, armed, and political struggle. Hezbollah was considered a militarist force in the '90s and was used against women. Women were stabbed and killed. In the 21st century, their names became ISIS, Boko Haram. No matter how hard we struggled in the 20th century, they reappeared in the 21st century by using another name and cover. But we keep struggling despite everything. Kurdish struggle is the only struggle in the world that continuously changes and transforms itself according to the century.

 What are your thoughts about women’s struggle around the world?

Women's dynamics are different. Nation-states want to pull everything to pieces. They want to promote patriarchy in health, economics, education, politics, laws, language, and culture. Whenever women gain knowledge and experience through the struggle, they rise up and organize attacks on each region. As I said before, women's dynamics are different; they have influence in the field of culture; music, painting, and dance. In the field of labor, the labor of women working at home, in agriculture, in husbandry, and in workplaces, the labor of women working as teachers, etc. hasn’t been seen. And the women whose labor hasn’t been seen come together in the 21st century. Women were subjected to harassment and rape in every sphere of life. But women have exhibited what they faced in this century. We tried to develop a common life in all areas of society, starting from our homes.

Women create change and transformation together

We have been organizing as Kurdish Women's Union in Kurdistan. We have been organizing along with all women living in Turkey through the TJA. We coordinated and held the Middle East Women's Conference. We held Kurdish women's conferences by coming together with African, Balkan and European women. And we have become a member of the International Women's Organization. We were the Middle East Women's Delegation in the World March of Women. We participated in the World Conferences on Women as Kurdish Women’s Coordination.

Society for the Rise of Kurdistan was established in Istanbul in 1919 during the Ottoman Empire. The struggle was extended by establishing the Revolutionary Democratic Women's Association (DDKAD) in the 1970s and it played an important role in the women's struggle for freedom.

In 2005, the Democratic Free Women's Movement (DÖKH) was founded. It held its first Women's Congress between 31 January and 1 February. DÖKH, which struggled against violence, oppression, massacre, harassment, sexual abuse, prostitution, and many other problems against women, continued its activities despite all the obstacles, pressures, and difficulties.

The members of the DÖKH decided to come together under the name of Free Women's Congress (KJA) in 2015. But the KJA was shut down in 2016 by an emergency decree issued under the state of emergency in Turkey. The Kurdish women announced the foundation of the TJA in the same year.