"Purple Needle": Action Against Sexual Harassment

Friday evening 8 pm was the first appointment for women to meet in Mis Street in Beyoglu in order to start a "purple needle" campaign against sexual assault.

Erhan Üstündağ

After the perpetrators of sexual abuse in a New Year's crowd at Taksim square were let off with a paltry fine, women have decided to make a statement every Friday from 8 to 10 pm. They will gather in the Mis Street in Beyoglu, next to Taksim, every Friday and hand out "purple needles."

The "purple needle" campaign was initially started in the 1980s, protesting against the same kind of difficulties which women still face.

The latest, highly publicised, case of abuse in public involved a group of men sexually harrassing two women on Taksim Square. Because the women did not file a complaint, the five men arrested were released after paying a fine of 57 YTL (around 34 Euros).

The Istanbul Bar Association protested against the release, arguing that the relevant article in the Turkish Penal Code dealing with sexual assault, Article 102, did not call for a complaint to be filed if the crime was committed in a group.

Needle is "accessory" and "means of defense"

The renewed "Purple Needle" campaign can be followed on an Internet diary. The first lines of the webpage read:

"Purple Needle Against Assault

Now I would like to introduce you to a great product. The purple needle you see in my hand is made of a nickel-chrome alloy steel and is 7 cm long. The purple ribon attached to it makes it an accessory for all of your outfits. I will now show you that this elegant accessory is at the same time a means of defense against anyone molesting you. The movement is this...stick it in without feeling sorry, do not be afraid, it cannot cause tetanus."

Call for zero tolerance

Women featured on the website have said the following:

They have called for the requirement of a filed complaint to be abolished immediately.
They have called for police officers who do not act against sexual assaults, which are clearly delineated as crimes by law, to be taken off duty.
They also want those authorities who use the laws in favour of men, and who intepret sexual harrassment and assault as "misdemeanours", to be investigated. (EÜ/TK/AG)