MEDINE MAMEDOGLU

Amed- Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention keeps drawing national and international criticism, particularly women’s criticism in Turkey. Rosa Women’s Association member Ruken Ergüneş drew attention to that the government (The Justice and Development Party) encourages the perpetrators by making this decision and she highlights that there is no mechanism to protect women in Turkey.

Ruken Ergüneş talked to our news agency about women’s agenda in Turkey. Saying that the government has practices that encourage men and cause polarization in society, Ruken Ergüneş stated that one of these practices is the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. Stating that the number of femicides is on the rise, Ruken Ergüneş underlined that men kill women by taking courage from the policies of the government.

“All women are under attack”

Ruken Ergüneş said that the government proved its misogyny with its policies.

“The impunity policies, the reduction of sentences, and the release of men, who use violence against women, encourage men. This shows that misogyny has been proven. For that reason, we call the killing of women gendercide. This situation causes polarization in society. The people, who don’t know the content of the convention, support the withdrawal of the convention because they support a political party (AKP-MHP) like supporting a football team. Today all women (in Turkey) are under attack no matter who and where they are.”

“Punishment can stop the violence”

Ruken said that almost all the killed women had applied to the police station many times and had a protection order before being killed but despite the protection orders; women were killed with the same scenario. Ruken Ergüneş recalled 17-year-old Sezen Ünlü, who was stabbed to death 16 times with her five-month baby.

“Sezen Ünlü was forced into marriage after being raped when she was 16 years old. Then, she was subjected to violence. She was killed for leaving her house. The beginning of her story shows everything. Before killing Sezen Ünlü, the perpetrator stood trial for using violence against a woman. Before killing Sezen, he actually showed that he could kill her. He showed that by inflicting violence against women. If men are punished before killing women, femicides can be stopped.”

“Women are killed even if they called KADES”

Ruken Ergüneş said that the ruling party’s application called Emergency Support Hotline for Women (KADES) doesn’t protect women. She told us three women in Amed (Diyarbakır) were killed even if they had applied to KADES many times before being killed.

“The three women had called KADES and the application directed them to police stations. But they were killed. These women were killed even if they had had protection orders. KADES is a hotline for women being subjected to violence. For instance, Remziye Yoldaş called KADES and went to police stations many times. A man who escaped from prison threatened her. This woman should have been protected by KADES but she was killed while going to a grocery store. Melek and Gülistan Şaylemez were also killed even if they had had a protection order. The KADES and protection orders don’t protect women.”

“The abolishment of the convention means they are party to femicides”

Ruken Ergüneş told us they would never accept the Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention as women.

“We should tell people and children how all kinds of discrimination are bad. The people should leave using the language of violence in order to eliminate discrimination in society. Measures should be taken to prevent it. A system should be created to prevent it. In the Istanbul Convention, there are many articles to protect women and girls. These articles prevent violence against women and girls. While we were struggling for the implementation of the convention, it was abolished. We will never accept this. The abolishment of the convention means they are a party to femicides.”