In her weekly column, Gülseren Onanç, the Founding Chair of the SES Equality and Solidarity Association (SES), addresses Ursula Von Der Leyen and urges her to support the Istanbul Convention, which, she argues, the Turkish government has abandoned because of an authoritarian, male-dominated mindset.
Dear Ursula,
I apologize for addressing you by your first name, without your permission. Since your visit to Ankara last week, I have put myself in your shoes and been so outraged by your mistreatment that I feel a sense of companionship with you, even though we have not met. In fact, I have been following your distinguished career since your entry into government in 2005.
I am an activist advocating gender equality in Turkey and the founder of the “Equality, Justice and Women Platform’’ (SES) formed in 2018 to support women taking on leading roles in society. On our platform, there are many articles referring to you.
When you were nominated as the Commission’s first female president, I was indescribably proud. You are an experienced politician who served in important ministerial positions for many years, not least as minister for family affairs and youth. You know how to manage bureaucracy and induce it to move forwards. Your leadership affirms the contribution women can make to the decisive developments of our time.
The progress you have made towards achieving gender equality in the Commission is an inspiration to us all. Your hallmark achievements, NextGenerationEU and the European Green Deal, are setting the pace for progressive movements, and those fighting for a green response to the pandemic, all over the world.
However, we remain concerned about gender-based discrimination in Europe, Turkey and the wider world. Feminism is more necessary than ever to combat these alarming trends. Europe has faced a succession of crises in recent years and must fight to safeguard its values and strengthen democracy.
Populist authoritarianism has emerged in recent years in Europe and beyond. The fight against racism has not yet been won. We all face patriarchalism in our daily work and you encountered it, to my deep regret and embarrassment, during your meeting to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 6, 2021.
This type of behavior is not isolated. It reflects a patriarchal mindset and system based on the false assumption that political leadership belongs to men and which fails to recognize that women can run multilateral organizations, countries and associations on an equal basis as effective leaders.
Last week, unfortunately, European Council President Charles Michel cooperated with Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the seating arrangements at your meeting, demonstrating that the patriarchal mindset is not confined to Turkey. But representatives of the global feminist movement are by your side and support you in your daily battle for equality.
We invite you to reaffirm your backing for the goals of the women’s movement in Europe, Turkey and globally. Our objective is to dismantle the patriarchal system, which brings discrimination and inequality, and to replace it with solidarity. This goal is entirely in line with the values on which the European Union and the Turkish Republic are based.
We ask you to stand by the women’s movement, which upholds the Istanbul Convention. Turkey’s withdrawal from the Convention does not represent the views of the country at large but reflects, rather, a particular patriarchal mindset. As you know, Turkey was one of the founding parties to the Convention, which protects women from violence and, in particular, domestic violence. Turkey was the first country to ratify the Convention now signed by 45 states and the European Union. This places a particular responsibility on both Turkey and the EU. Our combined efforts to ensure that the principles enshrined in the Convention are implemented effectively will bring encouragement and relief to women across the world.
With my respect and good wishes for your continued success,
Gülseren Onanç
President
SES Equality and Solidarity Association