Feminist Writer Gülfer Akkaya Threatened: Does Someone Have to Die to Arrest Him?

* Photo: Fatoş Erdoğan

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Feminist - writer Gülfer Akkaya has announced that since May 31, she has been receiving deaths threats from an Instagram account that has the word "JİTEM" in its name, referring to an agency allegedly responsible for enforced disappearances in southeast Turkey in the 1990s.

Upon the call of the "Women are Strong Together" platform, women came together in İstanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan today (June 4) and filed a criminal complaint, requesting that the owner of the account be identified and found as soon as possible and brought to justice.

'State can find it in half an hour'

Akkaya has spoken to bianet about how she was targeted and threatened. She has briefly stated the following about the issue:

"It started on May 31, on Sunday. Since then, it has been regularly sending photographs. It sends videos where people are aimed at, videos where people are killed. It shares them from the JİTEM account. It poses itself as if it had links with the state. It shares posts at different hours every day. Normally, such accounts are supposed to be closed. Dozens of people have complained about them, I have done it, too.

"The government has been informed about it as well. [Ruling AKP Spokesperson] Ömer Çelik made a statement and said, 'We lay claim to our citizens.' But they have not been found, they have not been caught. It is not hard to find it, there are several accounts with the same name. The images and language use are the same, they find people and tag them, they target these people. The state can find it in half an hour.

'The state should stop them'

"The statement of Ömer Çelik has not relieved me. 'They are trying to cause fear and panic,' he says. Then, they need to be stopped. My request is this: The state has to stop this. That account has still not been closed. They have targeted Bodrum Women's Association as well.

"It tags women's associations and feminists one by one. Whoever these people are, they need to be caught and arrested. They are trying to create a climate of fear. They are threatening persons, institutions...

'They also threaten Nesrin Nas'

"Çelik says, 'Relax.' But, I cannot relax. I have a request: The Minister should fulfill his duty. I am not the only one, there are several people. Do they have to shoot someone so that the government will solve this issue? Does someone have to die to arrest the threateners?

"They also target politician Nesrin Nas. There are several people from different segments of society. There are, for instance, also the women who have supported me, they are targeting them as well.

"I am a citizen and I have my citizenship rights. The ones who commit such crimes need to be penalized, it is what I request. It uses a code name, it does it as it commits a crime. Is it normal to send pictures of weapons?"

565 women express support

Earlier today, Bodrum Women's Solidarity has released a statement signed by 565 women, expressing support for Akkaya.

"Gülfer Akkaya has been threatened with death because of the policies that she has supported and struggled for," the statement has read and added, "The lists of death and rape, which are not limited to Gülfer Akkaya, aim to eliminate women's struggle for doing politics in every area of life."

"We stand by Gülfer," women have emphasized. The statement has been opened for the signatures of other women as well. (EMK/SD)