After the attempted military coup on 15 July 2016, the state of emergency was imposed country-wide. The aim was to struggle against the ones involved in the coup. However, at the current state, when reflected upon the practices during the state of emergency, it has functioned out of its purpose, affecting the entire society and restricting all sorts of rights and freedoms. The state of emergency has resulted in interference in all aspect of women’s lives, taking back the rights they gained over the years of struggle, and downgrading their efforts to fight against social, political, and cultural rights, and their campaign against violence.
Recent Developments within the Country:
1. The amendments planned in the civil registry services law are intended for the achievements of women’s civil rights and are against the freedom of thought and faith. This attempt is likely to increase the sexual abuse against children and to leave them unprotected. With all these concerns, we d not approve of these amendments (as we have mentioned in our previous statements to the public repeatedly).
2. Torture and ill-treatment against women have multiplied. For instance, female prisoners in Van Prison were exposed to torture by their hair being pulled, which led them to buzz-cut their hair. Women in Tarsus Prison began hunger strike against torture and threats. Also, there have been numerous incidents of torture and ill treatment during transfers and consignment to prison.
Intentions on imposing uniforms are against many principals of right to fair trial, presumption of innocence in particular. It means a degrading and humiliating practice. It is obviously against the the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (commonly known as the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT)).
3. In spite of their special needs, pregnant, breastfeeding, and/or postpartum women have prevalently been detained and arrested on the pretext of judicial proceedings. This shows that women’s pregnancy, breastfeeding and postpartum periods are used as a means of punishment.
4. By the state of emergency decrees, women’s associations were closed down, which has restricted the right to legal remedies and disrupted the fight against violence.
5. There have been wildfires in Tunceli and Lice, and the authorities are indifferent to that. 60 thousand trees will be chopped down in Cerattepe for the sake of mining. Olive groves are planned to be made investment areas. Hasankeyf, a 12.000-year-old antic city, has been dynamited. All these show us that whoever is not sensitive to gender equality and women’s rights is also insensitive to the environment and nature.7
6. As a result of male-dominant policy of the Government, we have experienced the following problems:
• Women are exposed to assaults, threats and harassment by men or security officials only for wearing shorts or leggings, walking out at nights, doing exercise in a park as a pregnant, using public transport.
• The judiciary are very inattentive to abuse. i.e. An apartment building manager, committed to abuse against the 15-year-old daughter of the same building’s housekeeper. The manager was taken to court and put under house arrest within the same building.
• There are some practices to be brought about such as pink bus/tram/bus rapid transit (BRT), which clearly shows the Government’s discriminatory point of view on women. The practice would cause separating women from the rest of the community and legitimising sexual violence to women.
• Judicial verdicts, which leave women and children vulnerable to violence of any kind, show the impunity policy of the state. We have witnessed more severe results during the state of emergency proceedings.
All the above unfold as to what extent the state of emergency judiciary has ruined the lives of women. We have been going through hard times when the state of emergency is seen as an opportunity to oppress the opposition, and despite all the objection from women, their rights are being taken back (or tried to be taken) by means of anti-democratic, conservative, monolithic, sexist, and militaristic laws, by violating all national and international laws. Rule of law is irrevocable in a democracy. The state of emergency paves the way for any intervention in women’s lives and for many the restrictions of rights and freedoms.
For all the reasons abovementioned, we demand the Government
- to lift the state of emergency.
- to respect and protect the rights of women which have been achieved over the years of struggle.
- to introduce policies concerning women’s rights, in the light of the international law, and to refer to women’s organisations.
DIYARBAKIR BAR ASSOCIATION
WOMEN'S RIGHTS AND APPLICATION CENTER
HUMAN RIGHTS ASSOCIATION
DIYARBAKIR BRANCH WOMEN'S COMMISSION