'Peace' meeting of women: Our struggle for a free life

  • actual
  • 14:46 20 January 2025
  • |
img

ISTANBUL - Speaking at the “One million signatures for peace” meeting, HDK Co-Spokesperson Meral Danış Beştaş said that they are struggling for a free life. DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları reacted against the massacre of civilians in Tishreen. 

Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) Women's Assembly came together with women components as part of the “1 million signatures for peace” campaign launched by HDK for the socialization of peace.  The Women's Assembly met at the HDK Headquarters in Beyoğlu with the participation of Tülay Hatimoğulları, Co-Chair of the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party). 
 
HDK Co-Spokeperson Meral Danış Beştaş made the opening speech of the meeting and drew attention to the attacks on North and East Syria. Meral Danış Beştaş said, “I say that the attacks against civilians are violations and we condemn them. If there is to be peace, women will weave this peace. As women who make up half of the society, we will not be spectators. We all know that women continue the struggle for peace in wars.”
 
Emphasizing that they will fight for a free life as women, Meral Danış Beştaş added, “There is no doubt that efforts to encourage meaningful participation of women in peace and reconciliation processes and to include a gender perspective in negotiations will change a lot. We can write a new story and shape the course of the world through peace.”
 
WAR PROCESSES 
 
Speaking afterwards, DEM Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları reminded that the “One million signatures for peace” campaign had been launched and said that as women they would explain why they needed peace so much today and how the campaign could serve peace. Tülay Hatimoğulları stated that the whole world is on the brink of war and that all segments of society have a responsibility against war. 
 
Tülay Hatimoğulları said, "Today, over 50 thousand women and children have lost their lives in Gaza in the last one year. When we look at the developments in Syria, the geography has turned into a bloodbath. While the global system is re-establishing and repositioning itself, we look at what the peoples here think and what they aim for. Today, of course, we see and witness the struggles of the peoples sprouting here in the wars of division waged by the imperialist powers. Dear women, we do not decide these wars. Today, men and the male-dominated system decide on global wars and regional wars." 
 
Emphasizing that women are on the side of peace against war and that they always produce, “We can see from the Rojava experience what can happen when a political line develops in which women are present, politically and socially active, and when a process develops with a women's libertarian understanding" said Tülay Hatimoğulları.  
 
REACTION ATTACKS AGAINST TISHREEN 
 
Tülay Hatimoğulları stated that while the signature campaign for peace was being carried out, the attacks on the Tishreen dam continue. “We repeat our call from here; we cannot remain silent to the massacre of civilians in Tishreen while the current government in Turkey is saying ‘I am extending the hand of peace’. This is why we want peace. We want an honorable peace to be established on democratic grounds. We will definitely either open a way or find a way for peace. Dear peoples of Turkey, we can often ignore the Kurdish issue. However, when we evaluate the damage caused by the Kurdish issue in this geography in the context of the price paid to the Turkish people and other peoples, workers, laborers and women, we see together how great a price we are paying as a whole," said Tülay Hatimoğulları and added that women have been harassed and raped in wars throughout history, and that they will increase their struggle against harassment and rape.
 
ÖCALAN'S CONDITIONS MUST BE ENSURED
 
Tülay Hatimoğulları stated that if peace is achieved in Turkey, the solution of the Kurdish issue and end of the conflicts that have been going on for 50 years will make a great contribution to Turkey.  Tülay Hatimoğulları said, "We have a duty to draw the best picture of what the peoples of Turkey will gain and what we wmen will gain if the ongoing isolation of Mr. Abdullah Öcalan in İmralı is completely lifted and all the conditions that Mr Öcalan can now work for peace are provided." 
 
Women will continue to make every effort and work to face the truth and establish peace in this geography said Tülay Hatimoğulları and added, "In this sense, the signature campaign initiated by HDK is very important and valuable. From here I would like to address all the women of Turkey; dear women, in order to live in a democratic country, in order to prevent bloodshed, in order to open the doors to peace and justice, please sign a petition for peace.”

View More Articles

31/03/2025
18:52 Prisoners in İmralı meet with their relatives
30/03/2025
13:20 Rojin Kabaiş and Narin Güran commemorated
13:04 Attacks continue despite ceasefire
12:44 Youth: Let's be at Amara with spirit of Newroz
11:11 HDK Co-Spokesperson: The issue is not CHP but democracy
10:31 Special regime in İmralı must change says DBP member
09:25 4 April invitation from Öcalan
09:05 Father of 2 HPG members whose bodies not returned: Steps must be taken for a solution
28/03/2025
14:01 BYC: Journalist Khan forcibly dissappeared for reporting violence
13:34 Austrian politicians: Turkey must heed Öcalan's message
11:25 4-month İmralı report: 'urgent' application to CPT
09:23 House raids in Ankara and Istanbul: 2 journalists detained
09:23 'New system cannot be built in Syria without participation of women'
09:22 One month passed since Abdullah Öcalan's call: Physical freedom must be ensured
09:21 Struggle for peace and democracy cannot be separated says Tunç Soyer
08:48 3 arrests in Ankara
08:13 Resistance at METU throughout the night
27/03/2025
20:15 Resistance vigil in Tishreen on its 78th day
16:08 BBC correspondent deported from Turkey
15:12 Journalist Egid Roj commemorated
14:19 Protests continue in Balochistan
13:50 10 people arrested in Izmir beaten in prison
13:18 Lawyers applies to meet with Abdullah Öcalan
11:41 LAB expresses solidarity with Eğitim Sen
10:54 BAC: No news of Baloch journalist
10:11 Ban on 11 areas in Şirnex
09:08 Journalists release from prison
09:01 House raids in Ankara
08:47 Detentions in METU protest
26/03/2025
08:49 Yves Henz: Freedom of Abdullah Öcalan is necessity
25/03/2025
17:11 7 journalists arrested
09:13 No step on the 'right to hope' for 154 days
24/03/2025
16:21 Protests continue in Balochistan
16:13 New move by women's movements in North and East Syria
15:31 194 soldiers to be sentenced for 'Return to Life'
15:00 Shelling on Sakiro village
14:49 9 lawyers detained
14:30 School boycotts at many universities: Racist attack on students in Cebeci
14:05 Turkey carries out thousand 45 attacks in 2 days
13:54 Youth march to Amara from Amed
13:03 Trustees appointed to 13 municipalities since local elections
12:56 DFG and MKG: Journalists must be released immediately
12:37 'Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom must be ensured'
11:50 Istanbul Governorate files criminal complaint against Newroz Organising Committee
11:01 No news from detained Baloch women
10:40 Nightlong protests: Police violence spotted
09:36 'People embraced the call, government cannot ignore it'
08:17 Journalists detained
23/03/2025
17:29 Struggle is a right says DEM Co-chair Tülay Hatimoğulları
17:22 Imamoğlu suspended from office, trustee appointed in Şişli Municipality