Women Massacred in Taksim on May 1, 1977 Commemorated

* Photo: Evrim Kepenek - bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish

The women who lost their lives during the May Day celebrations in Taksim, İstanbul in 1977 have been commemorated by representatives from women's organizations and women from the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK), Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects (TMMOB) and Turkish Medical Association (TTB).

Gathering on Kazancı Slope near Taksim Square yesterday (April 30), women said, "We, as the women from the KESK, DİSK, TMMOB and TTB labor organizations, are at Taksim Square to honor the memory of the worker women who lost their lives at this square on May 1, 1977 and our all brothers and sisters that we lost on that day and to remember all women that we have lost in the struggle for another world that we long for..."

In memory of the women who lost their lives in Taksim Square on May Day in 1977, namely Hacer İpek Saman, Hatice Altun, Jale Yeşilnil, Kadriye Duman, Leyla Altıparmak, Meral Cebren Özkol, Nazan Ünaldı and Sibel Açıkalın, the women opened a banner that read, "We will not let the ones that we lost on May 1, 1977 be forgotten."

'Government is using pandemic as an opportunity'

"Invisible labor, raise your voice - Feminists"

Noting that the rights of women and children are being usurped, the women read out the following statement for the press:

"An urgent action plan must be prepared to prevent violence against women and coordinations must be established in such a way to include women's organizations. The growing spiral of violence faced by women, children and LGBTI+ individuals resulting from staying home due to coronavirus measures is aggravated by the perpetrators of sexual abuse and violence against women released by the law on criminal enforcement.

"Male violence has increased by 38 percent in comparison with last April. While the perpetrators of violence are being released from open prisons, restraining orders to be issued upon the requests of women have become harder to take by the hand of the Council of Judges and Prosecutors (HSK).

"The state has no mechanism to keep track of the released perpetrators or to inform the women subjected to violence. In this very process, the trustee appointed to the Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality has suspended applications for shelters and a shelter in Adana has been closed.

"The laws that were prevented by the movement of women who took to the streets at the very moment when they were mentioned in the last years are now tried to be passed while we are confined in our homes.

"There is an attempt to legitimize child abuse as well as a will to bring this debate to the Parliamentary agenda again.

'We are everywhere on May 1'

"We are here to say that it is not the outbreak that kills people, but the capitalism's greed for making profits. Protective measures protect health workers and health workers protect public health. We are here to say that protective measures need to be taken for health workers.

"End all production unless absolutely necessary. We are here for the right to life of all laborers who are forced to work and their families.

"In the face of violence, discrimination, harassment, rape and disregard, we are here to say 'Our labor, body and identity belong to us.'

"We are here to say that we will struggle against your attempts to cover up abuse by calling it 'early marriage' and by taking so-called measures against neglect and abuse of children.

"In the face of the war that aggrieves women twice as much while destroying nature, history and not only humans, but all living being as well, we are here to express the demand for freedom and peace one more time.

"We are here to raise the voice of our invisible and seized labor. We, as unionized, worker and laborer women, are here to raise our objections against the male-dominant system's oppression and exploitation of us.

"We are everywhere on May 1 to say our labor, body and identity beong to us..." After the statement, women laid carnations on Kazancı Slope.

(EMK/SD)