Hegemonic forces reigning over Kurdistan lands under invasion intentionally target female intellectuals and politicians in four parts of Kurdistan, who play vital roles in organising society. Imposing a life under repression, patriarchal hegemonic systems make serious efforts to eliminate the identities of women. As a result of these repressive policies, resilient women living in Kurdistan under invasion are being taken into custody because of unfounded allegations almost every day.

Rihan Loqo, a member of Rojava Coordination of Kongreya Star, spoke to ANHA and assessed the patriarchal politics targeting women in Kurdistan and the Middle East.

“Kurdish women defend the Kurdish identity and have enhanced self-defense organisations primarily against patriarchal mentality and hegemonic systems. This is why Kurdish women are being targeted”, said Rihan Loqo. Indicating the patriarchal-capitalist system enforced on Kurdistan, she added that this system “resorts to all kinds of ways to suppress women. Kurdish women have taken a leading role and resisted this system.”

‘Kurdish women became a symbol of resistance for all women in the world.”

Condemning the attacks against women who struggle for their culture, language and identity, Rihan Loqo recalled Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s statement “Before the Liberation Movement rose, women were said to be unconscious and underdeveloped”, and continued: “However, with the rising of the Liberation Movement led by Leader Öcalan, and the Rojava revolution known as women’s revolution, Kurdish women became a symbol of resistance in military, political, organisational and diplomatic terms for all women in the world.”

 ‘The Turkish state should be brought to account’

Violating the United Nations conventions, the “capitalist invading forces have been committing crimes against humanity in the region”, said Rihan Loqo stressing that the “Turkish state, which has committed war crimes such as kidnapping women and systematic massacres against politicians, should be brought to account.”

Defining the silence in the face of crimes and rights violations against women as a complicity in crimes, Rihan Loqo urged all women in the world to "organise, protect the achievements obtained with revolutions, build a free society and enhance the resistance” against the patriarchal capitalist system, referring to a statement of Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan; “Free women can free a family, and with a free family, we can build a free society.”

Women targeted by Turkey

On 12 October 2019, Ehrar El Şerqiye mercenaries, following the Turkish state’s invasion attacks on Serekaniye and Gire Spi, killed Hevrîn Xelef, Secretary of the Syrian Future Party, on the M4 highway.

As the result of the Turkish state’s drone attack targeting the village of Helince in Kobane, Zehra Berkel and Hebûn Mela, members of Euphrates Region Coordination of Kongreya Star, and Emine Weysi fell as martyrs on 22 June 2020.

The Turkish state also targets female politicians and jurists in North Kurdistan. Leyla Güven, a parliamentarian of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP), a symbol of resistance, has been arrested many times on unfounded allegations. Similarly, HDP former co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ and many other politicians have been held in prison for years.