Women in France to take to streets for Sakine, Fidan, Leyla

The Women’s National Coordination in France, Women’s World March in France, Heroine Collective, Association of Socialist Women and Solidaires Association of Trade Unions made a joint statement led by the Kurdish Women’s Movement in France (TJK-F), and called for the participation in the actions to be held in various cities of France on 8 January within the scope of justice struggle for Sakine Cansız, one of the founders of the PKK, Fidan Doğan, Paris Representative of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), and Leyla Şaylemez, a member of Kurdish Youth Movement, who were slaughtered in Paris on 9 January 2013.

Political repression against judicial process

The statement said, “Three Kurdish women were murdered by an agent of the Turkish Intelligence Service (MIT) in the middle of Paris. They have since become a symbol of the struggle for democracy in Kurdistan and the whole world. Although all the clues indicate that MIT was directly involved in the massacre, French authorities continue political repression against efforts to enlighten this incident.” The French Intelligence Service has not shared the information covered by a confidentiality order with judges so far, and besides, the death of assailant Ömer Güney in prison one month before his trial has driven the investigation into a deadlock.”

Impunity against terrorism in French lands

Pointing to the impunity against terrorist action carried out by a foreign agent in French lands, the statement continued, “As far as the French state does not enlighten this political assassination perpetrated in the country, it will remain an accomplice to this crime. This dangerous silence promotes the increasing attacks of Turkish nationalists in France against the Kurdish community. It also paves the way for Islamic-fascist ideas to spread through schools and places of worship, which were built in Europe with funds provided by Turkey.”

The statement indicated the economic and military interests of the French state as the main reason of its silence, and continued, “Turkey, which has the second largest army of the NATO, plays an important role in the territorial war in the Middle East, which directly affects Kurdistan, nearly a century after the Treaty of Lausanne. Therefore, it is not a coincidence that Sakine Cansız, Fidan Doğan and Leyla Şaylemez, representatives in Europe of women’s revolution, have been targeted.”

‘Let us stop fascism, defend freedom’

The women’s organisations called for French authorities to expose and prosecute those responsible for the Paris killings, demanding a transparent judicial process and removal of the confidentiality order on the information and documents about the massacre.

Commemorating all women who were slaughtered by patriarchal system such as Dulcie September from South Africa, Berta Caceres from Honduras and Marielle Franco from Argentina as well as Sakine, Fidan, and Leyla, women’s organisations urged all female activists, intellectuals, writers, academics, and politicians to raise their voices against injustice on 8 January in order to stop the fascism and defend freedom.

Details of the marches and demonstrations to be held in France are as follows:

8 January

Paris: March & demonstration, Time: 12.00, Place: Gare Du Nord 

Strasbourg: March & demonstration, Time: 13.00, Place: Place de la Gare 

Marseille: March & demonstration, Time: 13.00, Place: Canebiere/Marseille 

Bordeaux: March & demonstration, Time: 13.00, Place: Place Stalingrade   

9 January   

Toulouse: March & demonstration, Time: 14.30, Place: Jean Jaurès Metro Station.