In the past, women of Turkey have always been discriminated, subjugated, and oppressed. Especially mothers have had to pay the price of conflicts and oppression more harshly. Kurdish mothers had to leave their kids’ dead bodies in freezers for days because of the curfews. Dead bodies of Kurdish mothers were left on the streets because of the curfews. Mothers were beaten on the streets just because they gather to call the government to find their forcibly disappeared children. Devastating experiences of mothers in Turkey, regardless of their ethnicity, ideological beliefs, or religion are indescribable. To top it all off, the failed coup attempt in July 2016 happened to be a watershed moment in Turkey’s modern history, which was followed by the persecution of thousands of people; among whom are thousands of women and mothers. Extraordinary measures taken by the government following the coup attempt, the political conflicts, and consequential persecution have doubled the burden on mothers. Due to the government’s propaganda, mothers are stigmatized and excluded from society. They are exposed to arbitrary detentions, their children/husbands become the victims of enforced disappearances, and they are forced to flee to survive. Mothers have either lost their own lives in these desperate circumstances, or their children in these hazardous journeys. We are extending our solidarity with:
⁃ Saturday Mothers ⁃ Taybe Ana ⁃ Mother of Cemile Cagirga ⁃ Mother of Nurefsan ⁃ Mother of Berkin Elvan ⁃ Mothers incarcerated with their babies ⁃ Incarcerated mothers separated from their kids ⁃ Mother of Gulistan Doku ⁃ Mother of Sule Cet ⁃ Mothers whose professions taken from them ⁃ Mother of Ahmet Burhan ⁃ Mother and grandmother of Hakan ⁃ Mothers of deceased Grup Yorum members ⁃ Esma Uludag ⁃ Unzile Araz ⁃ Hatice Akcabay ⁃ Emine Bulut ⁃ Sumeyya Avci ⁃ Nurhayat Yildiz ⁃ Fatma Gormez
We are also extending our sincere gratitude to Natali Avazyan, Eren Keskin, Huda Kaya, and many more courageous women who have cared for the persecuted children of Turkey, just like a mother would. On this occasion, we, once more, call on the Turkish government to ensure human rights in Turkey, respect the demands of mothers who seek justice for their children and beloved ones and release incarcerated mothers who are political prisoners.
Hafza GIRDAP
Spokesperson & Executive Director
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