Stating that Turkish president Erdoğan, who insulted the Gezi Resistance activists by calling them "sluts", targeted women, Buse Üçer, a member of the Women's Defense Network, said that when the power was shaken, it attacked women who were resisting. She said that Erdoğan as the representative of patriarchy in Turkey, and added that there is an attack on women's gains all over the world. Pointing out that the Istanbul Convention is no longer just a convention for women, Üçer said: "The Istanbul Convention has become a symbol in the Turkish women's movement."

Üçer said: “Erdoğan had many discourses targeting women. The president of this country can easily take the podium and call the Gezi protesters 'sluts'. We used to say 'we are all sluts' in the past, but we as women can say this to ourselves. But the president has no right to call us that. Femicide, harassment, rape, abuse committed over the years, are actually the result of the misogynistic regime created by the president.”

Underlining that the Istanbul Convention was not granted to women, but was gained by women, Üçer said: “Even before the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, the women's movement was doing a lot of work to increase the visibility and awareness of the Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention is not a convention granted to women, it may be useful to remind it once and for all. It was won by women. The Istanbul Convention is not only attacked in Turkey, but in many countries."

We will not give up our rights

Üçer said: “The Istanbul Convention is a guarantee for women's lives. The Istanbul Convention has become a symbol for the Turkish women's movement.”

Women will fight together

Underlining that it is important to participate in the case against the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention at the Council of State, Üçer said: “As women's organizations, we call on everyone and all social opposition to be a party to the cases in the Council of State. As women, we will continue to defend this on the street. All women will unite in resistance as before.”