Activists of the Free Women Movement (TJA) and the HDP Women's Council demonstrated in Amed on Saturday, despite the heavy police presence and blockade. The women read a declaration demanding the government to annul the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. "Give up threatening women's rights that have been won," said HDP deputy Ayşe Acar Başaran, who is also the spokeswoman for the Women's Council of her party. HDP deputies Nuran Imir, Remziye Tosun, Dersim Dağ, Ebru Günay and Semra Güzel were also involved in the action.

With the slogan ‘We won the Istanbul Convention on the streets and will defend it on the streets too’ the activists gathered on Saturday afternoon in Kayapinar to demonstrate in favour of the Istanbul Convention. Turkey withdrew from the convention three weeks ago by presidential decree.

Women will end AKP rule

"The fact that the police tried for hours to suppress our voices and erected barriers around us instead of around misogynists and murderers shows us once again that we are dealing with a misogynist government," said Başaran addressing the crowd. The politician went on to say: “The government cannot stand the sight of women. Because it is women who neither recognize these barricades nor the one-man regime. You want to lock us within four walls, but our resistance continued. You threatened us, we fought. Your fear of us is understandable, because we women will end your rule."

At least 91 femicides since the beginning of the year

Since the beginning of the year, at least 91 women have been victims of femicide in Turkey, and dozens of rapes and cases of sexual violence against minors have been recorded, according to Başaran. Since the beginning of the corona pandemic in particular, there has been a significant increase in feminicide and cases of patriarchal violence across the country, and a number of women have lost their jobs. "But instead of taking responsibility for combating violence, women are increasingly being pushed into the side-line of social life by the hand of the government” added Başaran. “The most recent example of this misogynist government policy – she said - is the recent operation against women's structures in Amed and the associated investigation against the Rosa association.”

Bring the government to its knees

Başaran said: “We will not conform to the government's image of women, we will defend our demand in Kurdistan and Turkey. Give up threatening women's rights won with our struggle. With our slogans we will bring this government to its knees."