Letter by HDP’s Imprisoned Yüksekdağ: Women Will Overcome Threshold of Oppression

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In a letter she wrote in Kandıra Prison, Peoples’ Democratic Party’s (HDP) imprisoned former co-chair Figen Yüksekdağ has said, “It is the women who will overcome the threshold* of oppression”.

Touching on femicides, occupational homicides, gender based violence and social crackdowns, Yüksekdağ said, “We are on a ground that the moment is this important for especially women and the majority of the society, who produce but also are oppressed. The elections have coincided with such a ground”.

Stating that HDP will overcome the electoral threshold and the society will transform by “will of the organized free women”, Yüksekdağ in her letter said:

“In many ways, this election will be women’s election because it is the women who will tear down the threshold of oppression, and we will again see many forms of women: Labor and justice by the ballot box, enthusiasm and courage by the front line of the cortege, red handkerchief and movement by the halay…For all women who were snatched away from life: women will march towards the destination saying ‘women life freedom’. Women will reach the destination by shouldering our humanity’s names, memories and sufferings. So that the dead and fragile body of 7-year-old Cemile found in the fridge not forgotten…So that the women with their babies in their belly not be sacrifice to the men and state…Women will definitely win”.

What happened?

On November 4, 2016, she was detained along with eight other HDP MPs and arrested on the same day. She was relieved of her MP duties by the parliament on February 21, 2017. On March 9, 2017, it was announced by the Supreme Court of Appeals’ Prosecutor’s Office Political Parties Registry Bureau that she was relieved of her party duties. (ÇT/TK)

* According to Turkey's election system, a party must overcome 10 percent election threshold to be able to enter the parliament.