Pervin Buldan: Hands off women!

The final rally of the HDP campaign "Women's struggle is everywhere" took place in Istanbul. HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan condemned the Turkish government's misogynist policies and called for a joint struggle.

On Sunday, final rallies of the month-long campaign "Women's Struggle is Everywhere" of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Women's Council took place in Istanbul, Dersim and Aydin. The Istanbul finale took place before the Süreyya Opera in Kadikoy.

Hundreds of women, including HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan, MPs Gülistan Koçyiğit, Hüda Kaya and Dilşat Canbaz Kaya, as well as HDK spokeswoman Idil Uğurlu and representatives of other political organisations met in front of the opera house, holding photos of female politicians in captivity. On a banner it was written in Turkish and Kurdish: "Women's struggle is everywhere". The women danced and shouted "Bijî berxwedana jinan" (Long live women's resistance) and "Jin, jiyan, azadî" (Women, life, freedom). A purple human chain was formed in protest against the misogynist government policy. Activists of the Peace Mothers Initiative were at the forefront.

HDP co-chair Pervin Buldan pointed out in a speech that not only in Istanbul, but also in other places, hundreds are on the streets demanding their rights. She said that the government's policy promotes violence against women and protects the perpetrators, and that thousands of women have already fallen victim to this policy. Buldan called on women - regardless of their political views - to fight together and, referring to the women's rights activist Rojbin Çetin, who was tortured for hours by police officers during her arrest, said: "What is done to Rojbin Çetin today will be done to all women tomorrow if we do not stand shoulder to shoulder against it.”