The reactions continue against the victory of Erdoğan in the presidential elections and the increase in male MPs who are known for their discriminatory attitudes towards women and LGBTQs. Women’s rights advocates are calling for stronger organized struggle and saying “Let us not lose hope.”
The alliances forged by the AKP government during the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, along with their track record of policies and regulations pertaining to gender equality and women’s rights over the past 21 years, have sparked considerable debate.
The People’s Alliance, which targets both women and LGBTQ+ individuals, secured a majority in the elections, while advocating for amendments against women in the Law on Protection of the Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women (Law No. 6284).
General Representative the Women Will Stop Femicide Platform, Gülsüm Kav stated, “Those who target us, the LGBTIQs, and all the rights of women are now in the Parliament, demanding legal cases against us. However, history is filled with paradoxes during difficult times. For example, the participation in our struggle has grown exponentially. Suddenly, a significant number of women joined us with a sense of duty to protect their own lives.”
‘Lets not fall into despair’
Emphasizing that we are entering a period in which we will do our best to prepare for the challenging days ahead and to cope with these difficulties, Kav stated, “We can only overcome this challenging process by organizing ourselves and uniting our strengths. Let’s not succumb to despair. No one should underestimate the power of women. In the upcoming period, we may face constitutional amendments that further target LGBTIQ+ individuals, an increase in crimes committed against them, and the restriction of women’s modern rights. However, we are also preparing ourselves to the best of our abilities.”
Kav also mentioned Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention through a presidential decree in 2021 and said, “The struggle regarding the Convention is not merely a legal battle. It requires a societal, political, and organized struggle. We are still awaiting a response from the Constitutional Court in terms of the legal process.”
Lawyer Selin Nakıpoğlu stated, “Although we are facing the most radical right-wing, reactionary, and misogynistic Parliament in the history of the Republic, I do not think it is right to nurture the current climate of hopelessness. Let’s not overlook the fact that 48% of the population said ‘no’ to the autocratic regime; this is a significant percentage. Moreover, our struggle has never been solely focused on elections and the Parliament. In the current climate, our only way forward is to organize ourselves more tightly. Therefore, there is no room for despair.”
Source: Cumhuriyet