The Free Women’s Movement (TJA) will march to Gemlik on April 19 under the slogan, “It is time for women, time for freedom, and time to meet with the free Leader (Abdullah Öcalan).” Thousands of women from Kurdistan and Turkey are expected to take part in the march. Women joining from Diyarbakır (Amed) will set off from Şêx Saîd Square.
TJA activist and lawyer Gülşen Demir addressed the main purpose and messages of the march, referring to the demands of both the public and women for meetings on Imralı, as well as ongoing discussions regarding status. Demir underscored the need to ensure engagement with society and said, “The public dimension of meetings on Imralı must be ensured,” calling for both legal and humanitarian steps to be taken without delay.
Gülşen Demir stated that concrete steps must be taken for the process to move forward, emphasizing that women have assumed a pioneering mission in this regard. She noted that since the February 27 call, women have been actively engaged in the struggle to build peace, carrying out a determined effort and remaining present in public spaces everywhere. Demir added that this commitment and labor continue today and that the upcoming Gemlik march will be organized on this basis. Demir pointed out that 14 months have passed since the call, yet no tangible steps have been taken, a situation she said has led to a growing sense of distrust within society. Demir emphasized that one of the primary demands of women is to be able to meet with Abdullah Öcalan, and said: “Women are aware of how essential it is to be able to meet with Mr. Öcalan. The current conditions in Imralı must be improved, and women are raising their voices on this issue. Steps must be taken to ensure the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruling. First and foremost, we expect the existing law to be applied. However, as these steps continue to be delayed, a problem of trust emerges among the public and women. Yes, meetings are being held with his lawyers, his family, or members of commissions. Nevertheless, we see that the priority steps necessary to create working conditions for Mr. Öcalan have not been taken. At this point, women wish to raise their voices.”
Main theme in Gemlik will be the construction of peace
Gülşen Demir stated that women continue to express their demands through democratic means and recalled the previous march organized under the leadership of the TJA, which concluded in Ankara. She announced that a new march would be held in Gemlik on April 19 and shared the following information: “A total of one thousand women from Turkey and Kurdistan are expected to participate in this march. It is of great significance that women, who hold the leadership and mission of this process, raise their voices in squares and on the streets and express their demands through democratic means.”
Dialogue and negotiations will accelerate the process
Gülşen Demir stated that they view the period following the February 27 call as a “time for women” and noted that women would once again voice their demands. Drawing attention to the importance of dialogue and negotiations in accelerating the peace process, Demir said that Abdullah Öcalan is regarded as the chief negotiator in this process. She added that they believe meetings with Öcalan would contribute significantly to the development of a democratic society and the advancement of the peace process.
Demir said: “In fact, he is the primary interlocutor in the construction of peace. The public, both the Turkish people, the people of Turkey, and the people of Kurdistan, is making a very strong demand. He is the principal interlocutor. If this status were recognized and negotiations were held, the process would accelerate and the demands would be more fully realized. This is one of the fundamental demands of our march. Indeed, we have emphasized that one of the main demands of our march is the right to hope. In addition, we believe that the chief negotiator of this ongoing process is Mr. Öcalan.
We believe that any meeting to be held with Mr. Öcalan will accelerate this process and advance both the democratic society and the peace process. With the adoption of integration laws, we believe that all peoples in Turkey will be able to live in peace and with greater happiness. However, for this to happen, meetings with Mr. Öcalan must first be ensured.”
The societal dimension of the talks must be ensured
Gülşen Demir stated that while various meetings are taking place, it is essential to ensure the societal dimension of these talks. She emphasized that women, particularly female politicians currently imprisoned as well as women outside prison, are key stakeholders in the process both in prisons and within society. Demir noted that women suffer the greatest hardships during periods of war and stressed that, if peace is to be achieved, women must be able to meet with Öcalan as the chief negotiator. Demir said: “As we have stated, various meetings are being held; however, the public dimension of these talks must also be ensured. Women, both the female politicians currently imprisoned and those outside, are interlocutors of this process in prisons and in society. Women experience the greatest victimization during times of war. If peace is to be discussed, women must meet with Abdullah Öcalan as the chief negotiator. We believe that, as a result of these meetings, all the necessary processes for peace will accelerate. In this sense, our march aims to express our demands in a democratic manner. We invite all women to support this march.”
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