"We women are worried whether people really want to end this war. Ten years of war have brought our society war, physical disability, poverty, harrassment, rape, forced migration and a worship of violence, as well as sexist, racist and militarist policies which are reiterated constantly in order to produce hostility."

Women of the Democratic Free Women's Movement (DÖKH) and the "Women's Platform in Solidarity with the DTP" have called for the women arrested during operations targeting the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP) and the Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) to be released.

"Sexist nationalist attacks"

At a press conference held today (15 June) at the Turkish Union of Chambers of Architects and Engineers (TMMOB), the group announced that a signature campaign for the release of the women had started.

A statement was then read in Kurdish and Turkish by two women.

"The operations and arrests have shown us that the state and government do not want to produce a solution for the Kurdish question."

"We are worried, because we women are more aware that the male-produced sexist chauvinist discourses, intensified by the existing war, have become attacks on our bodies, our identities and our labour. Because we have paid a price, we must struggle against these sexist nationalist attacks carried out by men."

 Several women, including lawyer and human rights activist Eren Keskin and striking worker Emine Arslan, then spoke up and explained why they supported the campaign.

"Anti-democratic acts"

The text of the campain reads as follows:

"In operations against the DTP, which received nearly 2.5 million votes in the local elections on 29 March, many people were arrested, among them members of the DÖKH, who have struggled against sexism. With these anti-democratic acts against the DÖKH and the DTP, the right of the Kurdish people to organise and to enter politics is obstructed. In addition, we believe that these attacks also aim at weakening the struggle of Kurdish women against male hegemony and at blocking political and democratic paths as a peace process and a solution to the Kurdish question are being discussed."

"With this signature campaign, we demand that there be an end to the discrimination against the DÖHK and the DTP, and that those arrested be released immediately. We also demand a peace process to end this ten-year war. We call on anyone who supports the freedoms of expression and association to show solidarity with the DÖKH and the DTP." (BÇ/AG)