“I collected my notes by intuition says that I should point to a beginning rather than an ending for a ‘last sentence’… It was as if a voice that wanted to come to life, an image seeking its voice, a story that wanted to get full all in one breath was waiting for me.” Author Aslı Erdoğan says in her book entitled ‘Even silence is no longer yours’. Atlas Arslan is also one of those who take to the roads and puts his signature to a beginning after an ended story; after the death of her grandmother. She has written the stories of eight women in her book entitled, “My Grandmother’s Sisters.” 

MAKBULE AKGÜL

Ankara- Feminist Journalist-Author Atlas Arslan says, “My grandmother was always with my mother! She was sometimes against her, sometimes supported her, and sometimes stood by her but they were always together…Their relationship never ended when they raised me and my sister. We; two sisters grew up in the hands of two women having different characters. One of these women was my mother, who lived in harmony between modernity and tradition. The other was our grandmother, who broke not only social norms but also all norms.” After the death of her grandmother, she decided to write her book, entitled, “My Grandmother’s Sisters”.

The book tells the stories of eight women living in different villages. All stories and characters are real. Stating that she has written a feminist book, Atlas Arslan says that there are stories of eight women and that is no pain, drama, and brutality in the book. On the contrary, there are stories of how women are strong and able to rebuild a life, even if they suffer in their life. 

Could you talk about your life? How did you decide to be a journalist, an author?

After I graduated from high school, I started to work for a municipality's newspaper thanks to an advertisement that I saw by chance. I spent my summer there. Then I took the university exam and won the Ancient Languages and Cultures, the Faculty of Language, History and Geography at Ankara University. I studied for three years but I always wanted to be a journalist. I left the university and I took the university exam again and won the Faculty of Communication at Selçuk University. After graduating from university, I started to work for Akşam Newspaper. At that time, the 28 February and 12 September cases were heard at courts. I was sent to the Ankara Courthouse. I was an intern and didn’t know anything. I tried to understand the mess indictments. 

I wanted to work with anti-militarist women. I saw that militarism is masculine in the courthouse while following the trials. Masculine voices were rising everywhere. I told myself, “If I am a witness of this period and I reflect this period, I must reflect other voices.” First I thought about anti-militarist people and then women. I made contact with several women conscientious objectors. After interviewed them, I left working for Akşam Newspaper and started to work for BirGün Newspaper. On my first day, I received an e-mail from Ani Balıkçı, mother of Sevag Balıkçı was a soldier of Armenian descent who was shot to death during compulsory military service in the Kozluk district of Batman province in 2014. She declared herself as a conscientious objector. She sent her story. I cried a lot after reading her e-mail. I was touched and her story changed my book content and I named the book after her; Kişer Pari Mama (Good Night Mom) - Women Reject War.

Could you talk about your book, ‘My Grandmothers’ Sisters’?

I was a child raised by my grandmother and mother. My grandmother was a crazy woman. She was a woman who rejected all social norms and teachings. She stood by all women she knew. After losing her in 2012, I started collecting the stories she had told me. I went to her village and wrote the stories of women living there. 

My grandmother always told me the stories of women. She was a good storyteller. My grandmother always talked about her mother’s village. My book consists of eight interviews and stories of many women. There is no pain, drama, and brutality in the book. On the contrary, there are stories of how women are strong and able to rebuild a life, even if they suffer in their life. One of these stories is my grandmother’s story. 

SISTERHOOD IS NOT A BIOLOGICAL TIE

You wrote sisterhood in your book. I think it has a story…

 Turkish Language Association explains ‘sisterhood’ as biologically, two women born to the same parents or the same mother or the same father. But in my book, it has a different meanings; it is the sisterhood that has a place in the women's struggle and represents the women's struggle. Sisterhood is not a biological tie. This tie is not a bond of friendship; it is a tie that will strengthen us.