KJK Coordination says 1 July "not the end for women, but the beginning of a new struggle"

The KJK Coordination said that 1 July was not the end for women, but the beginning of a new struggle.

The KJK (Community of the Women of Kurdistan)Coordination said in a written statement: “Turkey officially withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, signed in 2011 and approved by the Council of Ministers Decision on 10 February 2012, on 1 July 2021. However, a woman is killed every day in Turkey by men. Turkey is among the countries with a high rate of violence against women. In such an environment where abuse against children is left unpunished, all kinds of discrimination, violence and unlawfulness against women are practiced, and the dominant male mentality is brought to light on this basis. It was no coincidence that the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention was signed directly by the fascist President Erdoğan.”

The KJK underlined that “this coup against women carried out by the AKP-MHP men's Alliance was met with the anger of tens of thousands of women in all provinces of Turkey and Kurdistan, from Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, to Amed, Antalya, Dersim, Adana and Hatay. Marches, press statements, actions were organised on 1 July. With the resistance carried out on the basis of women's solidarity, 1 July is not the end for women, but the beginning of a new struggle.”

The KJK Coordination greeted “the resistance of these women activists. Our women's freedom struggle will continue with great stubbornness and assertion without taking even a single step back. The women's activities on 1 July once again showed that the power of gangsters, mafia, thieves and despicable men will be further reduced and destroyed by the joint struggle and resistance of women to the AKP-MHP.”

The KJK continued: “Any help by the US and European states and capitals to keep Erdoğan in power also means strong support for his misogynistic policies. Of course, as women, we will widen our struggle by basing it on our own freedom, organization and understanding of self-defense. Women from Turkey and Kurdistan will continue their relentless resistance against inequality, discrimination and annihilation policies. We will implement our slogan, Jin Jiyan Azadî, with great determination.”