The Kurdish women’s organization Tevgera Jinên Azad (TJA) has announced a major demonstration to take place tomorrow, 31 May in the city of Amed (Diyarbakır).

Under the slogan “March for Social Peace and Democratic Solution,” thousands of women from across Turkey and the Kurdish regions are expected to gather at the central Sheik Seîd Square to voice their demands for peace, equality, and justice.

The initiative is framed as a direct response to the call issued by Abdullah Öcalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdish movement, on February 27, which TJA activist Arzu Karaman described as a “pathway toward a political solution.” Speaking to ANF, Karaman emphasized that women bear the brunt of war and conflict—and thus have the strongest stake in building a democratic society.

“Women Are Agents of Change”

Karaman stressed that the march is not just a symbolic action, but part of a wider feminist and political mobilization. “We are calling on all women – feminists, artists, activists, youth, and those from all ethnic and religious backgrounds – to stand with us,” she said. “We are determined to make our voices heard and show that women will not be sidelined in the struggle for peace.”

A written statement issued by TJA on May 20 lists multiple demands: an end to violence against women, freedom for political prisoners, resistance to ecological destruction, the defense of cultural and linguistic diversity, and the creation of a non-patriarchal, communal society. The statement also criticizes Turkey’s security and economic policies, which it says disproportionately harm women and marginalized communities.

Demonstration to Begin at 4:00 p.m.

Sheik Seîd Square, the planned gathering site, holds symbolic significance as a historic location for Kurdish political expression. “We believe that women are the transformative force of society. Without women’s freedom, no society can be free,” Karaman added. The demonstration is set to begin at 4:00 p.m.