Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chairperson and MP for Istanbul Atty. Filiz Kerestecioğlu, also a member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), presented a report titled "Women's Rights Violations in Turkey" at the meeting of the Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the PACE on Monday.

Highlights from the HDP report are as follows:

THE IMPACT OF STATE OF EMERGENCY ON WOMEN

Despite the numerous commitments such as “Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence” made by Turkey in the last decades to promote and protect women’s rights; inequality and discrimination against women have deepen even more especially in the recent years. Today, the rights and achievements made in the field of women’s rights are under threat in Turkey. Especially after the coup attempt, the declared state of emergency and the policies that nourish violence have affected the life of the women negatively. The present report provides an overview of key women rights concerns in Turkey.

Council of Europe member states should step up efforts to combat discrimination against women and moreover member states should condemn and combat backward steps that would undermine the principles of equality and non-discrimination.

Although human rights violations in Turkey are on the agenda of the Council of Europe, the problems women face in Turkey and the attacks on women's rights in recent years have not attracted enough attention of the Council.

The chaotic environment in Turkey, politics of hate, extended around-the-clock curfews imposed by the government, the State of Emergency declared after the coup attempt and the Decree Laws have had a negative impact on women's lives. Sexist and conservative policies and discourses have been concentrated in this period.

According to the figures compiled by the Women's Coalition, women constituted at least 19.6% (19,774) of the 100,797 public employees who were dismissed by Decree-Laws of the State of Emergency.

Economic freedoms of women who have struggled for years to gain their economic independence have been taken from their hands. They are forced to live dependent on their parents, their spouses, their fathers. Moreover, they are having difficulty finding another job because they are smeared. Dismissed women lose their social security. They are forced to live under the social security of their family members or their spouses or to work unregistered. They bear the burden of not being able to meet the needs of both themselves and their children economically.

11 women's associations and 1 children rights association were closed during the Emergency State period.

Government started replacing elected DBP (The Democratic Regions Party which is a component of the Peoples’ Democratic Party and organized in the places where the Kurdish citizens live) mayors with politically appointed “trustees” in municipalities of Southeast Turkey in September 2016. Trustees are appointed to the 3 AKP, 1 MHP and 81 DBP municipalities. 35 female mayors were arrested. The acquisitions gained by women's participation in the local administrations were destroyed by the actions of the trustees.

864 female judges and prosecutors were dismissed. With the dismissals, the women's existence within the judiciary became weaker.

At least 30 female journalists were detained. 16 female journalists are in prison right now. Turkey's first and only female news agency, Jin News Agency (JINHA), is among the agencies closed by the Decree-Laws. SUJIN, established in place of JINHA, was also closed by another Decree Law issued in August. TV programs such as Bread and Rose and Purple Bulletin on women's rights have been removed from broadcasting as a result of the closure of TV channels such as Hayat TV and IMC TV, which are critical TV stations.

Women who were taken into custody and arrested claimed that they have been tortured and ill-treated. Not only the women who are taken into custody with charges of attempting military coup; all detained women were subjected to treatment incompatible with human dignity on the grounds of the State of Emergency.

After the coup attempt, religious leaders and the supporters of the government used sexist rhetoric. On the one hand the images of the women who opposed the coup attempt in the streets were broadcast, on the other hand some religious communities declared that women should sit at home and pray and that men would support the government against coup plotters. Expressions such as “Coup plotters’ wives are prize for us" were used for the wives of detainees accused of involvement in the coup attempt.

WOMEN'S RIGHTS VIOLATIONS DURING CURFEWS

During the conflicts that began in July 2015 in the provinces where Kurdish citizens live, and following curfews imposed by government, hundreds of citizens lost their lives, were injured, subjected to torture and ill-treatment. Throughout the curfews, citizens' access to food, nutrition, health and education has been hampered and people have been left to die.

During the conflicts that began in July 2015 in the provinces where Kurdish citizens live, and following curfews imposed by government, hundreds of citizens lost their lives, were injured, subjected to torture and ill-treatment. Throughout the curfews, citizens' access to food, nutrition, health and education has been hampered and people have been left to die.

In the conflicting process, the most serious human rights violations are directed against women and children. The bodies of women who were killed in this period were exhibited by law enforcement forces, corpses were kept in the street for days, families were prevented from participating in the funeral ceremonies, sexist writings were made on the streets and walls of houses. Citizens returning to their homes after the curfews, declared that law enforcement forces entered their bedrooms, women's underwear were displayed consciously and that used condoms were left in the bedrooms. These practices once again reveal the patriarchal face of war.

IMPRISONMENT OF FEMALE DEPUTIES

In Turkey, only approximately 14,29% of members of The Grand National Assembly are women. This average figure hides a huge gap between Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) in which women’s representation in parliament is 36.36% and in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. However today, 5 out of 9 deputies of the People's Democratic Party who are in jail are women. These deputies who defend gender equality in parliament and who are fighting for women's rights are kept in prison with the charges such as “inciting people to hatred and enmity” and “making terrorist propaganda” due to speeches they had delivered. The accusations are based on their political activities, such as giving speeches or attending public and political events. Moreover, on 21 February 2017, HDP’s co-chair Ms Figen Yüksekdağ's parliament membership was revoked. Following this decision, on 9 May 2017, another female deputy, Nursel Aydoğan’s parliament membership was also revoked. Many national and international feminist organization have made statements supporting Figen Yüksekdağ, Nursel Aydoğan and other female Deputies and mayors who are in prison; because, female HDP Deputies have became the voice of the women's rights struggle in the Assembly. We have also tried to develop relations with female Deputies member of other parties, and even established a Women's Parliamentary Group to discuss common issues and demands of all women in the Assembly, although not officially recognized by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN

According to Bianet Independent Communication Network, in the first seven months of 2017, men killed 170 women and girls, raped 50 women, harassed 126 women, sexually abused 215 women and 237 women were subjected to violence.

In July, at least three women faced with harassment or violence by attackers on the because of their “clothes”.

The judiciary still does not have enough knowledge and sensitivity about violence against women. According to a report prepared by the Joint Human Rights Platform, there are a total of 547 cases of male violence in national and local media and news websites between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2016. Two of the arguments are prescribed. 24 percent of the cases were murder (132 cases), 38 percent were rape (209 cases), 26 percent were harassment (141 cases) and 12 percent were violence cases (63 cases). In addition, in murder cases reflected in the media in 2015 and 2016, 44 percent of the 176 defendants (78 males) were sentenced to aggravated life sentences, 30 percent (53 men) sentenced to life imprisonment, 16 percent (29 men) sentenced to prison, 0.5 percent (one man) sentenced to penal servitude. Nine percent (15 men) of the defendants were also acquitted. According to the report, 28 percent of the defendants’ sentence were reduced. One of the most serious problems in this area is that women's organizations can not participate as an intervening party in the cases of women's murders.

In addition, women in Turkey have been subjected to discriminatory and sexist expressions of politicians and public officials. Such expressions of politicians increase discrimination in society and violence against women. Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "It is against nature to equalize woman and woman” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan reiterated his view that there is no equality between men and women at the "International Women and Justice Summit" organized by the Women and Democracy Association (KADEM) and the Ministry of Family and Social Policies. Mayor of Ankara Metropolitan Municipality Melih Gokcek, during the debate about the ban on abortion, "Why the child suffers because of the mistake of his mother? Mother should kill herself" he said about pregnancies occurred after the rape. Unfortunately, there are dozens of examples like these. These discourses have led to an increase in male violence and harassment against women in everyday life, on the streets and in in all kinds of public areas. Lately, in different times two young women wearing shorts in public transportations were attacked and a pregnant woman was beaten because she was doing sport in public park.