Women's common struggle for peace in Turkey and Kurdistan has been organised on new grounds since the 90s. Launched in 1994 against war, nationalism and racism, the "Don't Touch My Friend" campaign, the Women's Initiative for Peace (BİKG) founded in 2009 and the Women's Initiative I Need Peace today create common grounds in the struggle for peace. 

 

Bread and Rose (Ekmek ve Gül) member Sıla Altun, Tevgera Jinên Azad (Free Women's Movement-TJA) member Ayşe Aksoy, Women's Defence Network member Hivda Kaya and Peoples' Democratic Congress (HDK) member Yağmur Yurtsever spoke about the struggle of women from different identities and different segments.

 

WOMEN'S COMMON DEMAND: PEACE

 

Sıla Altun stated that the demand for peace is a demand that women from all nations and beliefs embrace on a broad basis. "The economic foundations of wars, the destruction it creates on working and labouring women, the fact that war creates a situation in which violence against women is reinforced, the use of rape as an instrument of war, and situations in which deaths occur are revealed. The increase in war-mongering, aggression and militarism around the world leads directly to a point where women's security and labour are stolen from their lives, and the lives of those who produce life are stolen. Although our experiences of war or peace differ from each other, it constitutes one of the broadest demands that we can unite and come side by side,” said Sıla Altun and added: “Peace is a very important demand for women, especially for working and labouring women, and it is a demand that we should stand side by side."

 

'PHYSICAL FREEDOM OF ÖCALAN MUST BE ENSURED FOR PEACE'

 

Pointing out that peace is not an issue that concerns only the Kurdish people or Kurdish women, Ayşe Aksoy said: "A social peace is a problem for women from all walks of life, all languages, all races, all peoples. Because the money spent on war policies today is taken from the kitchens and homes of all of us. War harms the whole humanity. Therefore, all women should stand together in solidarity, extend the hand of peace and stand against the dirty war. Otherwise we will all be the losers of this war. We are worried about the deterioration of the peace process. Mr Abdullah Öcalan has taken all the necessary steps together with the organisation, but today there are no equal conditions and no response from the other side. Abdullah Öcalan's physical freedom must be ensured. Because the peace process is not carried out under equal conditions". 

 

'WAR IS BEING WAGED OVER WOMEN'S BODIES'

 

Hivda Kaya stated that there was a heavy attack and war situation after the failed conclusion of the previous negotiation processes and said: "After 2016, there was a period when the state's war policies and trustees increased a lot. Both trustees and special war policies directly targeted women. We all really need peace, I think women can establish this partnership more easily because of their oppressed identity. We really need peace to hold each other's hands and insist on life. Not only in Turkey, but also in Palestine, Argentina... This first voice always comes from women. War policies are carried out through women's bodies, the trusteeship affects women the most, they close women's organisations. As women, we need that voice, that hand to hold." 

 

JOINT STRUGGLE FROM THE 90S TO TODAY

 

Yağmur Yurtsever emphasised the importance of women's common struggle for peace and stated that women are excluded from peace processes. She concluded: "Male domination is being implemented to steal our labour, to exclude us from decision-making mechanisms and we are excluded from all political processes. Only a solution and peace building in which we are included will ensure coexistence, equality and freedom. The understanding of women's struggle together that they have accumulated since the 90s, and the principles and methods they have developed here, contain methods that Turkey can put before it as a task in this phase. In other words, we are both struggling on the one hand and setting an example on the other."

 

MA / Yeşim Tükel