641 citizens: Equality of women and men is indispensable
Citizens have “called on everyone to take responsibility to build a democratic Turkey, which is based on a secular law where women can fully exercise their rights in line with the spirit of the Civil Code and which is egalitarian, liberal, fair and pluralistic.”
Underlining that they received Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention with concern, 641 citizens have released a written statement ahead of March 8 International Women's Day and raised their demands for establishment of gender equality in Turkey.
"Equality of women and men is indispensable in laws and life," the citizens have underlined, briefly adding the following:
'We are concerned'
"We, the undersigned citizens, have been watching with concern that the government attempts to transform state institutions, laws, religion and faith by using them for its political aims and takes a step to stop recognizing international human rights by withdrawing from İstanbul Convention.
"We know that a country where the equality of women and men is not ensured in laws and life cannot be just or free.
"We reject the restriction of alimony, which means reducing or harming women's acquired rights, the change of the legal proceedings concerning divorce and the introduction of family mediation, where the family law will be deprived of judicial guarantee, by amending the Civil Code, which aims to ensure that women access their right to equal citizenship in all areas and this right is put into practice as per the current Constitution and the international conventions that Turkey has signed and accepted.
"Ahead of the second centennial of the Republic, we call on everyone to take responsibility to build a democratic Turkey, which is based on a secular law where women can fully exercise their rights in line with the spirit of the Civil Code and which is egalitarian, liberal, fair and pluralistic."
The undersigned 641 citizens:
Abdulhakim Daş, Abdurrahman Atalay, Abdülsamet Baskak, Adalet Dinamit, Adem Koca, Ahmet Ağaoğlu, Ahmet Aykaç, Ahmet Kuzucu, Ahmet Umur Serter, Ahu Parlar, Akın Akınsal, Akın Atalay, Akın Atauz, Akın Kösetorunu, Alev Avcı, Alev Er, Ali Akel, Ali Kulçay, Ali Özgündüz, Ali Rıza Özbaba, Ali Rıza Öztürk, Ali Tarık Kayakan, Ali Yaman Öğüt adına, Aliye Yıldırım, Arif Ali Cangı, Arif İsmet Yılmaz, Arzu Sami, Asiye Sabah, Aslı Telli, Asuman Kayan, Aşkın Akca, Ateş Aykut, Attila Durak, Avşin Semizer, Ayda Arel, Aygen Kalkavan, Aykurt Nuhoğlu, Ayla Hekimoğlu, Ayla Karadeniz, Ayla Tokmak, Aylin Nazlıaka, Aylin Şatgeldi Yay, Aynur Özdemir, Aynur Uzer, Ayse Ferhan Yalınkaya, Ayse Gözen, Aysel Ayvaz Akarsu, Aysun Korkut, Ayşe Danışoğlu, Ayşe Erdeviren, Ayşe Gezdur, Ayşe Gül Altınay, Ayşe Güngör, Ayşe Müjde Türedi, Ayşe Öğünçlü, Ayşe Özdamar, Ayşe Semiha Baban, Ayşegül Akın, Ayşegül Devecioğlu, Ayşegül Engin, Ayşegül Kanat, Ayşen Atalan Sözbilir, Ayşen Çelebi, Ayşenur Toprakoğlu Uzel, Aytuğ Atıcı, Bahar Zafer, Banu Acun, Banu Can, Banu Yeğin, Baskın Oran, Başak Tuğ, Bedahet Tosun, Bediz Sel, Begüm Yavuz, Belkıs Akıncı, Berrin Sönmez, Besriye Tekgür, Betül Dünder, Beydağ Tıraş Öneri, Bilal Kılıç, Bilge Altun, Billur Cremer, Binnaz Toprak, Binnur Özmen, Binnur Uzuner, Birgül Değirmenci, Birsen Çelen, Birsen Temir, Buket Türkmen, Burcu Özaydın, Bülent Atamer, Bülent Karaağaç, Bülent Tekin, Can Akgün, Canan Arın, Canan Pak, Canan Şahan, Candan Göksenin, Cem Akıncıtürk, Cem İşmen, Cemile Mavioğlu, Cengiz Arın, Cevahir Coşkun, Cevher Bilgin, Cevza Sevgen, Ceyda Demiroğlu, Cihan Uzunçarşılı Baysal, Cihan Ülsen, Coşkun Özdemir, Çağrı Alkaş, Çetin Aktürk, Çiğdem Akça, Çiğdem Ayyavuz, Çiğdem Balım, Çiğdem Gökhan, Çiğdem Kocabaş, Çiğdem Okuyucu, Çiğdem Yalçın, Demet Irklı, Deniz Esendeniz Aslan, Deniz Gök, Deniz Gümüşel, Deniz İlgün, Deniz Soyuer, Deniz Türkali, Deniz Ünsalan, Deniz Yıldız, Derya Nüket Özer, Derya Şimşek Aksakal, Devrim Umut Aslan, Dicle Maybek, Dilek Tunç, Dilvin Semizer, Doğan Bermek, Durhasan Doğruöz, Durna Şahin, Dursun Bulut, Duygu Kural, E. Nida Besbelli, Ebru Özkan, Ebru Uzun, Ece Aktan, Ece Göztepe, Efe Engin, Ege Madra, Elçin Kınay Bayrak, Elif Aytaç, Elif Şakar, Elife Meral, Elifgül Türkmenoğlu, Emel Kızılcık, Emel Uzman, Emil Eker, Emine Altun Şenel, Emine Çiftci, Emine Ercan, Emine Gönel, Emine İğcioğlu, Emine Uşaklıgil, Emine Yasemin Bolol Vural, Emis Küçükarlan, Emrah Kırımsoy, Enes Özkan, Engin Akçakoca, Erdal Karayazgan, Erdoğan Kahyaoğlu, Erendiz Atasü, Ergün Özgür, Erol Alp, Erol Köroğlu, Erol Şaşmaz, Ertuğrul Günay, Esin Alptuna, Esin Boduroğlu, Esin Eren, Esin Necef, Esin Topçu, Esra Koç, Esra Mungan, Esra Özdemir, Eylem Kabarık, Eyüp Soner, Fatih Düzyol, Fatih Keskiner, Fatin Kanat, Fatma Acıkaraoğlu, Fatma Aytaç, Fatma Dikmen, Fatma Karademir, Fatma Mefkure Budak, Fatma Müge Göçek, Fatma Tanyeri, Fatoş Ay, Fazıl Alp Akış, Fazilet Taştan, Ferhat Kentel, Feryal Karakulak, Fethiye Çetin, Feyha Karslı, Feyzi Coşkun, Fidan Güngör, Fidan Şahin, Fikriye Alkan, Fikriye Özlem Mecit, Fikriye Tiryaki, Firdevs Soytürk, Fuat İnce, Fuat Keyman, Fulya Sarvan, Fügen Kanadıkırık, Füsun Ertuğ, Gençay Gürsoy, Gonca Bağdat, Gökşen Öz, Göktürk Ülkü, Gönül Arısoy, Gönül Doldan, Gönül Süalp, Gönül Turhan, Gönül Tuzcu, Gözde Giledereli, Gül Güllüova, Gül Üstün, Gül Yılmaz, Gülay Coşkun Tan, Gülayşe Koçak, Gülcan Günay, Gülçin Demirağ, Gülçin Tekay Akgül, Gülden Aykanat, Gülden Taran Ünver, Gülen Can, Gülengül Altıntaş, Gülgün Demirel, Gülgün Etker, Güliz Elbi, Gülizar İpek Bilek, Gülnur Aksop, Gülser Kayır, Gülseren Onanç, Gülsün Konuray , Gülşen Sakarya, Gülşen Yeşil, Gülten Sönmez Seber, Güneş Eseryel, Güniz Tümer, Gürhan Ertür, Güzin Arar, H. Taner Seben, Hacer Ansal, Hacer Bilge Bayezit, Hacer Demirtaş, Hacer Esra Alkaş, Hadi Cin, Hakan Ataman, Hakan Çağlar, Halenur Bilgi Özdemir, Halil İbrahim Yenigün, Halime Atamer, Halis Sabah, Hamide Çetin, Hamra Bakırcıoğlu, Handan Haktanır, Handan İkiışık, Harun Toptan, Hasan Cemal, Hasan Hakan Güçkan, Hasan Subaşı, Hatice Eserer Gencer, Havva Bilgin, Havva Güneş Akçay, Haydar Ceylan, Hediye Biter, Helin Kaya, Hıdır Özpınar, Hikmet Kılıç, Hikmet Yasemin Kayadeniz, Hilal Ünsal, Hülya Ataoğlu, Hülya Ekşigil, Hülya Ertuğrul, Hülya Gülbahar, Hülya Kurt, Hüseyin Altay, Hüseyin Demirkan, Hüseyin Öztürk, Hüsniye Çelik, Ilgaz Uyan, Işık Gürleyen, Işıl Arslan, Işıl Toy, İbrahim Betil, İbrahim Damatoğlu, İdil Dağdemir, İdris Yıldız, İhya Üstüneli, İlknur Akgül Ardıç, İlknur Tiryaki, İlyas Buzğan, İnci Bilaloğlu, İpek Ruhnaz Üstüner, İrfan Ökke, İshak Kocabıyık, İsmail Ağan, İsmail Gönen, İsmail Özelge, İsmail Şahin, İştar Gözaydın, Jale Parla, Kadir Erbaş, Kadir Öztürk, Kamil Yağcı, Karabekir Akkoyunlu, Kaya Yazgan, Kazım Altan, Kazmir Pamir, Kerimcan Yıldırım, Koçer Karatepe, Lale Duruiz, Levent Oğuzkurt, Leyla Ataç, Leyla İnci, M. Nadir Kaya, Mahmut Boynudelik, Mahmut Emin Avcı, Mahmut Tanal, Mehmet Ali Ediboğlu, Mehmet Bozgeyik, Mehmet Cemal Beşkardeş, Mehmet Doğan, Mehmet Erkal, Mehmet Ersayan, Mehmet Ersöz, Mehmet Faruk İşgenç, Mehmet Gürhan Cenkçi, Mehmet Hami Genç, Mehmet Şener Güleç, Mehmet Şevki Kulkuloğlu, Mehmet Şiray, Mehmet Ural, Mehtap Yıldız, Melda Karakişi, Melda Onur, Melek Köni, Melek Özman, Melis Alphan, Meltem Düzel Ayral, Meral Eti, Mert Büyükkarabacak, Meryem Gülbudak, Mesude İyiler, Metin Şimşek, Metin V. Bayrak, Mine Akinci, Mine Aksu, Mine Karadağ, Mualla Görkey, Muhammet Dinar, Murat Akaslan, Murat Çelikdağ, Murat Özbank, Murat Özenir, Murat Özkan, Musa Çam, Mustafa Akın Özerdem, Mustafa Aktaş, Mustafa Alper, Mustafa Çakılcıoğlu, Mustafa Moroğlu, Mustafa Öngay, Mustafa S. Madenli, Mustafa Şener, Müge Devrim-Üçok, Müjgan Gürgan, Müjgan Özçay, Münevver Doğan, Münevver Özgür, Münir Madran, Münire Dağ, Müzeyyen Alpşen, N. Emel Cengiz, Naci Akıncı, Nadir Uçar, Nadiye Baydar, Namık Havutça, Namık Tan, Nazan Moroğlu, Nazan Özdemir, Nazar Büyüm, Nazik Işık, Nazlı Balkaya, Nazmiye Seymen, Necla Tülek, Necla Türemen, Necmiye Alpay, Nedim İbrahim Hakkıoğlu, Nedret Kuran, Nejat Akın, Nergiz Ovacık, Nergiz Tayali, Nermin Korkmaz, Nermin Topallar, Nesip Serçe, Neslihan Tokcan, Neslişah Eroğlu, Nesrin Dolen, Nesrin Kaymakçı, Nesrin Nas, Nesteren Davutoğlu, Nezihe Bilhan, Nezire Saygılı, Nihal Gür Akyıldız, Nihal İncioğlu, Nihat Aras, Nihat Falay, Nil Mutluer, Nilden Bayazıt, Nilgül Özbörek, Nilgün Altay, Nilgün Aşkar, Nilgün Psav, Nilüfer Akgün, Nilüfer Benal, Nilüfer Hatemi, Nilüfer K. Pekel - Olcaytuğ, Nilüfer Kilit, Nilüfer Sayılan, Nimet Yeğin, Nimet Yıldız, Niyazi Zorlu, Nur Canoglu, Nur Deriş, Nur Toprakoğlu, Nuran Durak, Nuran Tarcan, Nuran Terzioğlu, Nuray Kaya, Nurban Altınçayır, Nurcan Özkaplan, Nurgül Vatan, Nursen Telli, Nurşen Sönmez, Nurten Ertuğrul, Nusret Doğruak, Nüket Esen, Oktay Ekşi, Olcay Özkaplan, Olga Hünler, Onur Çebi, Orhan Esen, Osman Durak, Osman Okkan, Osman Taney Korutürk, Oya Akıncı, Oya Baydar, Oya Berk, Oya Katırcı, Ömer Ceylan, Ömer Ersun, Ömer Madra, Önder Eren, Özgül Kapdan, Özgül Serdem, Özlem Altıok, Özlem Kaygusuz, Özlem Koşar, Özlem Teke, Özlem Yerlikaya, Pınar Dinç, Pınar Pektaş, Piraye Antika, Pulat Yüksel Tacar, Ragıp Ertuğrul, Ralf Arditti, Reha Ruhavioğlu, Renas Aburşu, Rezan Tuncay, Rıza Kaplan, Rima Dilmener, Saadet Avcı, Sabahat Yavuz, Sabiha Balik Apaydi, Saime Erkal, Sakine Çelik, Sakine Öz, Sakine Uysal, Salih Cankara, Saliha Yayla, Salim Şen, Samel Çelebi, Sanem Öztürk, Sedat Atalay, Sedef Betil, Sedef Küçük, Sefa Çetin, Sehap Garan, Seher Beyazit, Selahaddin Güleç, Selçuk Erez, Selçuk Perin, Selda Sylvia Tacar, Selin Pıravadılı, Selma Acuner, Selmin Atamer, Sema Afacan, Sema Alpan Atamer, Sema Bayraktar, Sema Gülez, Semih Bilgen, Semra Somersan, Semra User, Sena Kaleli, Senanur Türkmenoğlu, Serap Dalkılıç, Seray Şirvan, Serdar Öztürk, Serpil Açıl Özer, Serpil Arısoy, Serpil Deniz Şahin, Serpil Yılmaz, Serra Yilmaz, Servisîmin Cömert, Sevda Çelik Özbingöl, Sevgi Binbir, Sevgi Tiryaki, Sevil Peach, Sevilay Adıgüzel, Sevilay Çelenk, Sevim Deniz, Sevin Ayas, Sevinç Korkmaz, Sevinç Olcay, Seyhan Günay Yıldız, Sezai Kanbolat, Sezer Cömert, Sırrı Çopur, Sinan Suner, Solmaz Sarı, Sonay Şentürk, Soner Erduran, Sultan Yurdunal, Süha Gürbüz, Süleyman Çelebi, Süleyman Necati Özkaplan, Süreyya Türkoğlu, Şahide Ağaoğlu, Şahika Yüksel, Şahizer Senem Telli, Şahizer Telli, Şanar Yurdatapan, Şefika Koca, Şehriban Teyhani, Şenal Sarıhan, Şenay Çöte, Şerife Tunç, Şevres Yazar, Şükran Çınar, Şükran Efetürk, Şükrü Yılmaz, Şükrüye Akkaya, Tahsin Yeşildere, Talat Kırış, Tamar Polat, Taner Bolcan, Tatyos Bebek, Tayfun Üner, Temel İskit, Tevfik Kızgınkaya, Tolga Çandar, Tomris Gür Kara, Tufan Köse, Tuna Eren, Tunçer Gömeçli, Turan Altun, Turan Çabuk, Turgay Kurultay, Tülay Çakır, Tümay Algan, Türe Özçelik, Türkan Kekeç, Türkan Önder, Türkan Polat, Türkay Baran, Uğur Eraslan, Uğur Jale Şengül, Umut Aydos, Ülkü Özakın, Ümide Aysu, Ümit Barış AKSAKAL, Ümit Işık, Ümit Kıvanç, Ümit Özkol, Ünsal Günal, Üstün Reinart, Vahide Yılmaz, Vecdi Sayar, Vedia Özmutaf, Viki Çiprut, Vildan Akbaş, Yalçın Ergündoğan, Yalçın İrizalp, Yasemin Tokgöz, Yaşar Güven, Yelda Koçak, Yener Kabaloğlu, Yeşim Atamer, Yeter Tabak, Yıldız İmrek, Yunus Bircan, Yurdagül Erkoca, Yusuf Kırmızısakal, Yusuf Kırnaz, Yusuf Süleyman Karadağ, Yücel Eren, Yücel Harman, Yüksel Bağ, Yüksel Ergün, Zahide Sarıböcek, Zehra Arat, Zehra Betül Yazıcı, Zekai Sana, Zeki Bülent Yağlı, Zeki Sağdıç, Zekiye Baran, Zerrin Çeşmebaşı, Zeynel Abidin Çelebi, Zeynep Akıncı, Zeynep Atikkan, Zeynep Bolat, Zeynep Duman, Zeynep Karagöz, Zeynep Korkmaz, Zeynep Oral, Zeynep Pelin Okay, Zeynep Sabuncu, Zeynep Sirer, Ziya Yakıt, Ziynet Özyurda, Zuhal Özçep, Zuhan Gergin, Zübeyde Kocabay.
Police chasing protesters following a demonstration at Saraçhane Square. (Ali Dinç/bianet)
A woman detained during protests in İstanbul following the arrest of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has alleged that she was subjected to physical abuse and sexual harassment by police officers.
The woman, who was taken into custody on the night of Mar 22 and later placed under house arrest, described her experience in her police testimony.
“I didn’t damage any public property or resist the police," she wrote. "However, I was subjected to a very harsh intervention. I was pulled by my hair and dragged to the ground. While I was being taken away to be handcuffed, a police officer who said ‘I won't beat you’ took me to the back of the ambulance and I was harassed there. At that moment I wet myself out of fear. The clothes I was wearing were still soaked in urine. The woman officer said 'enough'. But the male policeman who had harassed me before continued to act as if he was in charge."
She further described the violence she endured while in custody. "The male police officer pressed my head with his foot. The doctor's report showed edema and swelling on my left side. While I was being taken to the detention vehicle, the female police officer insulted me by calling me ‘dirty’. I was kept in handcuffs for hours, my hands swollen and bruised."
'Death threats'
When she attempted to report the harassment, she said she received a sarcastic response from officers. “I told a blonde female officer that I had been harassed. She laughed and told me sarcastically, ‘Oh, you were harassed?’
"During a body search, they tied ropes around my wrists and neck to remove the plastic handcuffs. When I said it violated my rights, no one cared.”
The woman said that she was subjected to constant pressure and threats by four women police officers during her detention, and that one of the most severe threats came one of those officers: "They frightened me, put me under constant pressure. A black-haired policewoman told me, 'If you stay in our hands, we will kill you.' The other officers were joking and laughing."
Saying that the dose of violence and torture increased gradually in detention, the woman alleged that they forced her to give a statement and at one point she fainted because she could not bear the pain.
İstanbul Bar following the case
The İstanbul Bar Association’s Women’s Rights Center and lawyers affiliated with the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including attorneys Ekim Yolcu, Büşra Çakır, and Erdener Doğan Işık, are following the case. The legal team has appealed the court's decision to place her under house arrest.
Protests erupted across Turkey following the Mar 19 detention of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure from the Republican People’s Party (CHP). He was formally arrested on corruption-related and suspended from office on Mar 23.
Protests continued nationwide, with Saraçhane Square in front of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality building being center of the demonstrations.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that between Mar 19 and Mar 27, a total of 1,879 people were taken into custody during the protests. Of those, 260 were formally arrested, 468 were placed under judicial supervision, and 489 were released. Legal proceedings for the remaining 662 individuals are ongoing. (EMK/VK)
bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018- Şubat 2025). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News, İMC TV için muhabirlik yaptı. Rize'de...
bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018- Şubat 2025). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News, İMC TV için muhabirlik yaptı. Rize'de yerel gazetelerde çalıştı. Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo ve sektör dergileri için yazılar yazdı, haberleri yayınlandı. Hemşin kültür dergisi GOR’un kurucu yazarlarından. Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, Medya ve Yalanlar isimli kitaplara katkı sundu. Musa Anter Gazetecilik (2011) ve Türkiye Psikiyatri Derneği (2024) en iyi haber ödülü sahibi. Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası Kadın ve LGBTİ+ Komisyonu kurucularından. Sendikanın İstanbul Şubesi yöneticilerinden (2023-2027). İstanbul Üniversitesi Avrupa Birliği ve Bilgi Üniversitesi Uluslararası İlişkiler bölümlerinden mezun. Toplumsal cinsiyet odaklı habercilik ve cinsiyet temelli şiddet haberciliği alanında atölyeler düzenliyor. Şubat 2025'den bu yana kadın haberleri editörü olarak çalışıyor.
LGBTI+ activist İris Mozalar was among the encircled group after the demonstration.
More than 100 women and LGBTI+ activists were detained following the Feminist Night March in Beyoğlu İstanbul on Mar 8.
After the demonstration ended in Cihangir neighborhood, police encircled a group of activists and eventually detained 112 of them. During the confrontation, officers cited the chanting of "banned slogans" as the reason for their action.
Feminist activist Feride Eralp criticized the police response, saying, “There are probably 100 to 200 of us here. Out of a protest attended by thousands, you have somehow managed to trap this small group. This is disgraceful. What you are doing here is completely arbitrary.”
She called on the police to allow the crowd to disperse peacefully. “Do not use violence against women on Mar 8 Women’s Day. If you try to detain us here, you will have to use force on all of us—and you know that. Let this day end without violence. Your duty is to protect women from violence, not to inflict it. These women marched today for their rights and freedoms, for an end to male violence. Let us go.”
Police deployed vehicles to the scene and eventually detained all the encircled demonstrators.
LGBTI+ activist released after arrest request
Among those detained was LGBTI+ activist İris Mozalar, who was later referred to İstanbul’s 3rd Penal Judgeship of Peace with a request for arrest on charges of “insulting the president” and violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.
Mozalar spent the night in police custody before being transferred to Çağlayan Courthouse.
According to Mozalar’s lawyer, Gizem Karaköçek, prosecutors requested the arrest without even taking a statement from Mozalar.
The case file did not provide detailed reasoning for the arrest request, but one of the slogans chanted during the march—“Jump, jump, those who don’t jump are Tayyip”—was listed as evidence for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During police questioning, Mozalar was also asked about slogans including “Jin, jiyan, azadî” (Woman, life, freedom), “Resistance against all odds, freedom against all odds,” and “If women were free, the world would shake.”
Mozalar was ultimately released under judicial control, with an international travel ban. (TY/VK)
