Münevver Kızıl: Should I leave Turkey to stay alive?

* Photo: Evrim Kepenek - bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish

It is a sunny afternoon in İstanbul, pigeons are flying, the wind is mildly blowing through the leaves. The city is noisy.

We are in Eminönü.

I am sitting across Münevver Kızıl. She is telling me what she has been going through for the past eight years.

What she tells me is systematic violence. What she tells me is a man who filed a complaint against her though she was not using illegal electricity. What she talks about is insults, stalking, online harassment...

The city's noise stops for a moment.

Münevver is speaking now...

We are sitting here now. Let's say he comes here and kills me. Who can protect me?

I have been trying to stay alive in the face of violence for eight years now. It is very hard for me. This is a tragedy that has ended my life.

He has done everything to me in the book in these last eight years. I have filed 56 criminal complaints against him so far. This is my 24th protection order issued as per the Law no. 6284 on the Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women.

I have been literally spending my whole life going back and forth between the police station, courthouse and violence monitoring and prevention center. I have been suffering.

I met this man in 2011. Everything was fine in the beginning. Then, when I told him that I wanted to break up, violence started. In 2015, he drove his car into me to kill me. He put a gun to my head.

He bought a mobile phone line in my name and sent himself a message from this number. Then, he filed a criminal complaint against me. I was penalized over this. I worked at the courthouse as part of my supervised release. Due to a crime that I did not commit...

I am constantly fearing for my life. He does not only take my life. He kills me everyday. Fear of death is always upon me...

What I demand is clear: When I took to the Kadıköy Square on November 25 International Day for the Prevention of Violence Against Women, I carried a banner that had the names of killed women on them. I do not want any women to carry a banner with my name on it after I die.

May my voice be heard now. You cannot bring me back to life after I die. But you can keep me alive if you make my voice heard.

What else should I do to stay alive?

I also want the state to enforce the laws and protect women. I had 24 protection orders issued against a man. We are now sitting in the open here. If he comes here now and kills me, who can protect me?

Ayşe Tuba Arslan filed a criminal complaint 46 times. He might kill me, too. I have made 54 applications. He is still not given a severe penalty.

He was sentenced to pay 600 lira for insulting me. He was sentenced to 3,000 lira for violence. This is not a punishment. These punishments are like rewards. Everyday I live, I fear for my life. It hurts me so much.

Neither the Justice Ministry nor the Family Ministry deals with my situation. Will they care for me when I die? Do I have to die? I am escaping from death. I have changed where I live five times so far.

Courts do not hear my voice. This man is a crime machine. It is understood when you look at his criminal record. When you look at the court's attitude, you understand that it will not give this man a penalty. This man uses more than one phone line and ID in others' names.

Courts say, "There is no ground for investigation due to lack of evidence." They treat me as if I was crazy even at the state institution where I have taken refuge. Why don't I file a complaint against Ali, Veli or any other man, but do it specifically against Sefyettin T.?

There is evidence. This man is threatening me with death. The state does not protect me. There are also the voice records of this man's threats.

I do not know what to do anymore, nothing comes out of courts. Do I have to leave this country to life, like Yasemin? I want to leave the country like Yasemin so that I can live...

If I am killed, the murderer is not a single man. My murderer is the MPs, rights defenders and organizations who do not hear my voice...

You are all the ones to blame.

We are in İstanbul's Eminönü...

I am sitting across Münevver Kızıl. She is telling me what she has been going through for the past eight years.

What she tells me is deadlock. What she tells me is the inability to be protected from violence. What she talks about is a deep silence in the face of male violence. What she talks about is immunity...

Münevver Kızıl wants her voice to be heard!

Münevver Kızıl wants to live!

(EMK/SD)