The Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad or TJA) is proceeding with the second day of its conference on Sunday, with panels on the theme “Chains of silence: Breaking down the walls around women political prisoners”.
The first day of the conference on Saturday focused on the conditions of incarceration of women political prisoners in Turkey. The session included presentations on “Being a female prisoner in Turkey and the impact on society”, “The system of isolation that spreads from prisons to society”, “Health violations and struggles of women political prisoners” and “Experiences and struggles of Kurdish women political prisoners in Turkey”.
Fighting isolation through resistance
Moderated by Human Rights Association (İHD) Istanbul branch head Gülseren Yoleri, Saturday’s conference looked at the different aspects of being a female prisoner in Turkey. İlkay Demir, who was present during the student uprisings in 1968, spoke about her experiences and emphasised the importance of resisting isolation. “The struggle for freedom outside breaks the isolation. In order to break the isolation, we have to extend our struggle as well”, she stressed.
The locking up of women
On the topic “The system of isolation spreading from the prisons into society”, lawyer Ruşen Seydaoğlu highlighted the extensive efforts of the TJA’s diplomatic group in addressing prison-related issues. She discussed the broader context of the locking up of women, emphasising that it extends beyond prisons and includes the construction of women’s bodies as political performance spaces. Seydaoğlu noted: “Families, dynasties and empires have all been produced as spaces of confinement for women.”
She argued that the current system marginalises those who do not conform to the norms set by the regime.
Highlighting the struggle against isolation
Saturday’s panel on “Violations of the right to health and the struggle of female political prisoners” was chaired by Prof Dr Şebnem Korur Fincancı, President of the Turkish Medical Association (TTB). Fincancı discussed the conceptualisation of human rights and the role of the struggles of mothers in recognising and combating torture. She expressed her concern about the regression in the struggle against torture today and emphasised the link between torture and the policy of isolation.
Fincancı stressed the importance of the timely execution of sentences, as delays could prevent women in detention from lodging appeals. She pointed out the impact of the isolation policy on the health of prisoners, pointing out that the resulting behaviour ends up becoming reflected in the wider society.
Kurdish women’s resistance
TJA representative Çağlar Demirel gave an insight into the struggles of Kurdish women, emphasising their dual struggle for Kurdish and for female identity. Demirel recalled the legacy of resistance, citing examples such as Sakine Cansız and Aysel Tuğluk, both of whom fought for their identities both as women and as Kurds.
