The AKP, which built its power with conservative, patriarchal capitalist codes, has woven the hairpins of the “family” policy in 22 years for an obedient society. For this purpose, it was especially aimed to imprison women in the family and substitute them with violence and poverty. With attacks on gains, an attempt was made to “control” women's bodies.

 

In 2011, AKP removed the “woman's name” from the relevant ministry and changed the Ministry of State Responsible for Women and Family to the Ministry of Family and Social Policies. While Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Tayyip Erdoğan's remarks “Every abortion is a Uludere (Roboski Massacre)” and “Have at least 3 children” in every platform he participated in regarding women are still in the memory, most recently Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz stated that the fertility rate has dropped to 1.5 and that work has been initiated to establish a “High Council for Demographic Population”. These policies of the government, which makes policies based on women's bodies, and through this, engages in social engineering, stand at a point that feeds violence and massacres against women. For this reason, women, who consider “massacres of women as political”, are preparing to respond by strengthening women's organization and struggle in the run-up to November 25.

 

Member of the Women's Defense Network Rüya Kurtuluş made evaluations on the government's policies to dominate the “family” and the woman body.

 

 

FAMILY POLICY 

 

Preparing for November 25th, Rüya Kurtuluş stated that one of the important agendas of women is the government's “family” policy and that women are mostly murdered in the home and by the men closest to them due to this policy. Referring to the creation of the “High Council for Demographic Population”, Rüya Kurtuluş said that the focus of the “Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family” announced by the Ministry of Family and Social Services in May was fertility. Rüya Kurtuluş said: “Turkey needs young and cheap labor. And who will produce this labor? Women.”

 

Pointing out that population policies are planned through women's body, fertility and life, “The AKP government is trying to produce a population policy that determines all unpaid, heavy care work through women,” Rüya Kurtuluş said and pointed that the attacks on women's acquired rights have increased especially after the 2010s and that the aim is to imprison women within the family. 

 

ABORTION IS ACTUALLY FORBIDDEN

 

Referring to the pressure to “become a mother” and interventions on how women give birth, Kurtuluş said: “Currently, abortion is de facto banned in state hospitals. Abortions are not performed and women are directed either to expensive private hospitals or under the stairs where health conditions are ignored. This creates both a reproductive right and a health problem.” 

 

DOMINATION OF WOMEN'S BODIES 

 

Underlining that women's bodies are tried to be taken under control with all these policies, Rüya Kurtuluş emphasized that women's decision rights such as birth, labor and domestic labor are wanted to be controlled. Stating that the massacres of women can be prevented with the holistic stance of the relevant institutions, “The families you try to imprison us in are hotbeds of violence; it is not safe for children, women, LGBTI+s. But women are struggling and coming side by side to get out of here,” she said. 

 

WOMEN WILL BE ON THE STREETS ON NOVEMBER 25TH  

 

On November 25th, Rüya Kurtuluş stated that they will be on the streets against male-state violence and continued as follows: “Women show a strong resistance not only on the streets, but also at home and in all areas of life. This is where the power of feminist politics comes from. Every woman can stand up by saying 'my life'. We feel that we are stronger now; we think that our opinion, our word, our voice is much stronger.”

 

MA / Yeşim Tükel