The Paul Grüninger Foundation awarded the jailed Kurdish politician Ayşe Gökkan, who is in sentenced to more than 26 years in Turkey, its Recognition Prize for Humanity and Courage 2023.
The Paul Grüninger Foundation awarded the Kurdish politician Ayşe Gökkan, who is in prison in Turkey, the second of its Recognition Prize for Humanity and Courage 2023. The first prize went to Polish refugee helper Paula Weremiuk.
The award ceremony took place at the Palace Cultural Center in St. Gallen. Ayşe Gökkan’s award was accepted by her lawyer, Berfin Gökkan. The lawyer read out a letter from Ayşe Gökkan written in Kurdish: “I greet you with the warmth of the sun and the enthusiasm of Jin-Jiyan-Azadî. As a member of the Movement of Free Women, I accept this award on behalf of thousands of struggling Kurdish women. There are many fighting women in prison in Turkey.”
The foundation justified the awarding of the recognition prize of 10,000 francs to the Kurdish feminist and human rights defender Ayşe Gökkan for her civil society commitment and her criminalization:
“Ayşe Gökkan has particularly distinguished herself as a journalist and as an activist for women’s rights. For almost forty years, she has been writing newspaper columns against racial and gender discrimination, speaking at national and international podiums and seminars, leading workshops on the topic of gender inequality and taking part in peaceful demonstrations in this context.
From 2009 to 2014, Ayşe Gökkan was mayor of the Kurdish city of Nusaybin, which lies on the border between Turkey and Syria. When Turkey began to build a wall against refugees between Nusaybin and the neighbouring Syrian town of Qamishlo, the mayor protested against this “wall of shame” with, among other things, a sit-in strike.
Because of her civil society commitment, Ayşe Gökkan has been arrested in Turkey more than eighty times, subjected to more than two hundred investigations and, in 2021, sentenced to more than 26 in a grotesque court case based on the statements of a single “secret witness” for membership in a “terrorist organization”.
About Ayşe Gökkan:
In 1998, Ayşe Gökkan graduated from the Department of Journalism at Cyprus American University.
In addition to her work on documentaries and books related to women’s deaths, Ayşe Gökkan conducted research on femicides. She ran as the Democratic Society Party (DTP) candidate for mayor in the 2009 local elections in Nusaybin and was elected with an impressive 83% of the votes on March 29, 2009.
Active in various roles within the Party Council, General Headquarters management, and the General Headquarters International Press Commission, Ayşe Gökkan served prominently in the People’s Democracy Party (HADEP), Democratic People’s Party (DEHAP), and DTP.
In the 2002 general elections, she stood as a parliamentary candidate for Urfa but was not elected due to DEHAP’s failure to surpass the 10% election threshold.
Alongside her political engagements, Ayşe Gökkan contributed as a columnist and prepared research files for Özgür Gündem, Özgür Politika, Azadiya Welat newspapers, and Özgür Kadının Sesi magazine.
Source: ANF