Mutlu Kaya’s silence: Don’t fear ever!

* Photos: Aynur Tekin/ Gazete Duvar, Evrim Kepenek/ bianet

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Having survived the armed attack of his ex-boyfriend 6 years ago, Mutlu Kaya also joined the protests against Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention in İstanbul's Maltepe on Saturday (June 19).

"I have come here for all women. My expectation is that I will support women when my health gets better," she said.

In two incidents of male violence, Kaya's elder sister Dilek Kaya was killed by Yusuf Ç. and her lawyer Müzeyyen Boylu was killed by Mesut I. in previous years.

On Saturday, we - hundreds of women and LGBTI+s - were in Maltepe for the İstanbul Convention, from which Turkey has withdrawn by a Presidential decision dated March 20, 2020 and which will no longer be in force in the country as of July 1.

The excitement, the enthusiasm was beyond words.

Women's rights defenders from not only İstanbul, but from all around Turkey, from Bursa to Mardin, from Ankara to Giresun, were there.

On the one side, there were folk dances performed; on the other side, you could hear the slogans, "Deniz Poyraz is immortal," referring to the armed attack that claimed the life of Deniz Poyraz in the İzmir office of the Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) on June 17.

There were also slogans lashing out at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) for pulling the country out of the Convention and the appointed university rectors: "AKP; keep your hands off the Convention", "We don't want a homophobic rector."

Mutlu Kaya's silence

While the messages of determination were getting louder and louder all around the site of protest, one also sensed an immense silence there.

A deep silence amid all this music, applause and ululation...

That silence was the silence of Mutlu Kaya. She was watching the women from her wheelchair with her long black hair and green eyes.

With her stance and existence, Kaya was, in fact, giving an answer to those who remain silent in the face of violence and who do not do their duties. She was saying, "I am here, you have been unable to kill me."

She also had a message for all women and LGBTI+s resisting against violence: "You can do it as well."

Having miraculously survived male violence, Mutlu Kaya has been a symbol of hope and holding on to life for all women.

And Kaya, with both her voice and silence, tells women: "Don't fear ever."

On that day, when hundreds of people were protesting for the İstanbul Convention in İstanbul, Kaya didn't turn away anyone who wanted to have their pictures taken with her. Then, she fell into silence again.

I also couldn't help going beside her. I asked her how she felt.

'Woman is a hero to woman'

First, silence again...

Then, despite her barely audible voice, Mutlu Kaya answered my question with her powerful words:

"There are so many people who love me, I love them, too. I get strength from them. I have come here to support women. I have come here for all women. My expectation is that I will support women when my health gets better.

"I would like to say this to women: Don't remain silent ever. The women who are subjected to violence must call the police, they must call associations. But they mustn't remain silent ever!

"I wish my elder sister Dilek would also be here today. My elder sister had the same fate as me. But she is not here. 

"I hope that the laws will change and the ones who inflict violence on women will be punished. After I came here, I have felt very very strong thanks to the love of people. Please let gender equality be established.

"We are the ones who give birth to men, women must be given their well-deserved value. Women; enough is enough. Let's join hands. Woman is a hero to woman; we can only save one another..."

She concluded her words, fell into silence again.

The voices of other women reached us then:

"Long live women's solidarity!"

(EMK/SD)