Cansu Ertaş, an activist of the Ankara Women's Platform, associates the rising number of feminicides with the economic crisis in Turkey and the patriarchal system. "In 2019, 474 women were murdered. The government has the responsibility to prevent these murders and ensure that the murderers receive their deserved punishment, but instead it continues its misogynist policy, does not implement the Istanbul Agreement and turns a blind eye to the cruel murders of women.

Society is dominated by patriarchy

For centuries, society has been dominated by a patriarchal order. This is now visible, because we fight against it, we have risen up against it. Women have been the target of male violence and murder for centuries. One reason why this violence continues to escalate in Turkey and worldwide is, of course, the economic crisis. Because of the crisis, men are killing themselves as well as their women. These are also murders. And this is only the economic dimension of violence against women.

Women are intended to be polarised

An attempt is made to press women into a certain norm and to influence them conservatively. In schoolbooks women with headscarves are portrayed as gentle, while women without headscarves are shown as violent. This serves to marginalise the women. The women are intended to be polarized and divided. It is intended to be prevented that women come together and fight together. Because the patriarchy knows that women want peace and have the power to bring it, it is afraid of the organization of women.

We try to create awareness

We as women from the Ankara Women's Platform are concerned with the trials. We try to create awareness about the trials in society and to follow each trial. We also try to organize a common struggle. The women want to go to the streets and defend their rights, but unfortunately they are prevented from doing so by the state due to the ongoing state of emergency.”