Thousands in Şırnak: Ekin Wan's naked body is our honor

Thousands in Şırnak staged a march in protest at the torture perpetrated on the body of YJA STAR guerrilla Kevser Eltürk (Ekin Wan) after her death in clashes with Turkish soldiers in Varto district of Muş on 10 August 2015.

Thousands in Şırnak staged a march in protest at the torture perpetrated on the body of YJA STAR guerrilla Kevser Eltürk (Ekin Wan).

Answering the call of Kongreya Jinên Azad (Free Women’s Congress, KJA), thousands gathered in Aşitî Square in Şırnak in protest at the torture perpetrated on the body of YJA STAR guerrilla Kevser Eltürk after her death in clashes with Turkish soldiers in Varto district of Muş on 10 August 2015. Two days after Wan's death, photos were released on social media of the YJA Star guerrilla stripped naked and dragged down the street by Turkish security forces.

The crowd held a march from Aşitî to Azadî Square, holding a banner “Ekin Wan's naked body is our honor” and chanting slogans.

Speaking at the rally in Azadî Square, KJA activist Emine Erkan drew attention to the recently enhanced brutal war tactics targeting the dignity of people and recalled that Turkish President Erdoğan said “Happy to the family of a martyr” while young people of the country are dying every day. Erkan asked: “Which families are you talking about? The families who lose their children every day for the throne of some others?”

Erkan said the images demonstrated once again the link between the paths of the AKP and ISIS, and added; “By stripping Ekin, the male state has once again pulled the cover on its own rapist male dominance, and manifested its misogyny, disrespect to any value and its own war guilt. This is why the naked body of Ekin Wan demonstrates us the misery of fascism”.

Erkan stressed that any kind of state torture would not hinder women from struggling for their liberation.

Following the speeches, the action ended with a sit-in action.