The March 8 Women’s Platform held a press statement in front of Süreyya Opera House in Kadıköy to protest the overturning of the sentence of Pınar Gültekin’s murderer and to officially launch the preparations for International Women’s Day. 

A banner reading 'Justice for Pınar Gültekin! Against discriminatory sentence reductions and impunity policies, we will gather in Kadıköy on March 8!' was unfurled.  

Women suffer the most in wars    

Speaking on behalf of the platform, Tuğen Gümüşay said that violence and femicides of women are increasing every day and that women are forced to work under insecure conditions for low wages. Gümüşay said: "In wars, women suffer the greatest hardships, including hunger, rising unemployment among women, and increasing racist attacks against migrant women. We have gathered here to raise our voices against the darkness that surrounds us more and more each day.” " 

We do not accept impunity policies for killers  

Gümüşay stated: "The 1st Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court overturned the aggravated life sentence handed down to the killer of Pınar Gültekin on the grounds that the crime of ‘murdering with monstrous intent’ was not established, paving the way for a sentence reduction based on unjust provocation. Pınar’s murder was planned, premeditated, and carried out with torture. What aspect of [killer] Cemal Metin Avcı’s actions led you to conclude that it was not ‘monstrous’?  While women are forced to discuss how we are being murdered, what evidence convinced you that Pınar’s murder was not deliberate? We do not accept these impunity policies systematically granted to male killers."

We will not bow to your patriarchal system  

Gümüşay continued: "While state institutions, which are responsible for preventing violence against women and building safe cities and homes for them, fail to fulfill their duties with their law enforcement and judiciary, they encourage killers to commit new attacks. Every killer draws strength from previously unpunished crimes, protected killers, sentence reductions for good behavior, unjust provocation arguments that put women’s lifestyles on trial, models of amnesty, and the overall impunity policies that pave the way for violence against women. But we, as women, will continue to raise our voices against this system, and we will not obey your patriarchal order. The ruling power seeks to impose a life built on militarism, nationalism, and sexism through war policies. The social anger that emerges is redirected toward the people through the encouragement of racism and is covered up with hatred toward migrants and refugees. Women who fight for a free and equal world are being forced into submission in the face of war. But we, as women, will never stop struggling for peace."

We will take part in the demonstration in Kadıköy on 8 March

Gümüşay stated: "We will defend our rights and our lives. As our solidarity grows stronger every day, with our anger, our rebellion, and our struggle, we will attend the demonstration in Kadıköy on 8 March to build an equal and free life."