Women Stirred Politics on the Streets

The panel discussion "Women's actions in Istanbul after 1980- Women on the streets of Istanbul" was held in the Women's Works Library on Saturday, 30 January. Filiz Kerestecioğlu talked about "Street actions during the Campaign Against Beating", Selma Atabek spoke about "Women's politics developed on the street", Hülya Gülbahar dealt with "Legal amendments and the street" and Filiz Karakuş put forward the topic of "The time of campaigns for feminists' proposals and organizations".

The panel was lead by Beyhan Demir and was organized in the context of the 'Istanbul Women - Women Istanbul' project organized in co-operation of the Istanbul 2010 European Capital of Culture Agency wiht the Women's Works Library and the Information Centre Foundation.

Kerestecioğlu: We walked for our own ideals for the first time

Lawyer Filiz Kerestecioğlu talked about the marches during "the Women's Solidarity against Beating". In 1987, Judge Mustafa Durmuş had rejected the claim for divorce of a woman who had been beaten by her husband. The judge reasoned his decision with the quotation of a discriminatory proverb. Thereupon, the first large-scale street protests after the military coup in 1980 was launched.

This was the first action organized by the women themselves and aimed at their own interests. For Kerestecioğlu, the protest march was also important because of its political relevance.

Atabek: The joy of doing your own politics

Later on, lawyer Selma Atabek founded the "Women House of Culture". "We organized the Women's Conference in 1989. We enjoyed doing our own politics with the campaign 'Our body belongs to us, No to sexual harassment'".

"We initiated the 'No to 438' campaign for the abolishment of law articles regarding mitigation of punishment for rape of sex workers. 20 women filed a divorce case as a protest against the civil law. Some of our friends got divorced. We went to the streets with our whistles after Cemil Çiçek had said 'There is no difference between flirting and prostitution'. We launched the 'No to 159 campaign' for abolishing the law articles related to the husband's approval which was required in case the wife wanted to work", Atabek summarized.

Gülbahar: We ran a large exhibiting campaign

Lawyer Hülya Gülbahar talked about the campaigns against article 4320 of the Law on Protection of the Family, against the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) and the Civil Code as parts of the struggle to enable women to go out freely whenever they wanted.

"They struggled for the freedom of women to go out whenever they wanted. We were on the streets when the new TCK was prepared. The ones who previously supported the women withdrew now during the discussion of the Law of Property Between Husband and Wife. We exhibited those people. Millions of women all over Turkey incapacitated these men to walk on the streets. This was one way for the women to be involved in the issue".

Karakuş: Women were subject of feminist politics

"In the 1980s, women were the subject of feminist politics. In the early years of the new millennium we still make politics but we alienated ourselves and keep out of politics as a subject", said lawyer Filiz Karakuş. She spoke about the "Black Action", the "Licensed Women" campaign, the SSGSS and the NOVAMED campaigns:

"The black action was the first support action for a political subject not related to women. We dressed in black and laid down on the ground to protest against violence imposed to prisoners. We supported the election campaigns of former prostitutes Ayşe Tükürükçü and Saliha Ermez before the elections in 2000. We drew attention to the struggle and demands of the NOVAMED women. In the scope of the SSGSS campaign we put forward proposals regarding women in social politics". (BB/VK)