Istanbul 25 November Women’s Platform demonstrates in solidarity with Çilem Doğan

Reactions continue against the the 15-year prison sentence handed down to Çilem Doğan, who used her right to self-defense against her husband who abused of her for years and forced her into prostitution.

The Istanbul 25 November Women’s Platform gathered in front of Kadıköy Süreyya Opera, and carried out a solidarity action with Çilem Doğan.

Banners with the words “We stand by Çilem, real justice will win, not man’s justice”, and “Jin jiyan azadî” were opened by activists.

Rüya Kurtuluş read the statement on behalf of the women and underlined that the male judiciary, “which released murderers and rapists, again chose to punish a woman who defended her life.”

Kurtuluş said that the male judiciary once again actually condoned the men who perpetrated violence, as proved by the 15-year prison sentence upheld by the Supreme Court against Çilem Doğan.

Kurtuluş said that Doğan killed Hasan Karabulut, whom she married in 2016, in self-defense. Doğan had been subjected to systematic violence for years and had applied to state institutions many times. However, despite receiving a protection order 9 times, the violence she experienced continued.

Kurtuluş said: “The state did not protect Çilem against violence and in fact punished her once again because she did not die. The state, which did not arrest the perpetrators of Nadira, Yeldana, İpek and Gülistan, punished Nevin, Namme, Çilem, Öznur, Yasemin, Hülya and said, ‘You can use violence, you can kill them. ‘, says to women to accept their fate even if they get killed. The state wants us to shut up. We are challenging both male justice and this sentence, which is meant to intimidate all women on the streets all over the country.”

Noting that male violence and femicides increased in Turkey and underlining the President’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, Kurtuluş said: “We women are resisting to live. And not just that. Racist attacks, especially against immigrant women, strip searches and violence against political prisoners and their visitors, impunity for the perpetrators of violence against women, disappeared women, increasing poverty and labor exploitation, which especially affects women, hate speech against LGBTI+s… are on the increase.”

‘We will be in Taksim on 25 November!’

Kurtuluş said: “As Çilem said, we women will continue to fight shoulder to shoulder. The women’s fight will win. We embrace Çilem with the warmth of solidarity. We announce that we will be on the streets of Turkey once again this year, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, on 25 November, and in Istanbul, in Taksim on the evening of 25 November at 19.30.”