The Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad or TJA), one of Turkey’s largest women’s organisations, has firmly reiterated its commitment to the Kurdish slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Women, Life, Freedom) after it was banned by the Diyarbakır (Amed) Governor’s Office on Saturday. The TJA declared their unwavering stance against the prohibition, emphasising the slogan’s enduring significance as a symbol of resistance and freedom. They held a protest in Diyarbakır (Amed), chanting Jin, Jiyan, Azadî and singing songs, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
They broadcast their protest on their X (formerly Twitter) account with the words: “Our philosophy has spread to all corners of the world, and those who think it can be banned are gravely mistaken. We shouted it out yesterday, we shout it out today, and we will shout it out tomorrow: Jin, Jiyan, Azadî!”
They also released another statement, emphasising the deeper meaning of Jin, Jiyan, Azadî: “Jin, Jiyan, Azadî is an epic struggle that deciphers the enigmas of mythology, shatters the patriarchal codes of domination and intelligence, and unites the ethical and aesthetic dimensions of freedom. It reimagines and renews the foundations of human society, offering a new path to life in a truly humane community.”
Felsefemiz dünyanın dört bir yanına yayılmışken
yasaklanabileceğini düşünenler büyük gaflet içindedir.Dün de haykırdık, bugün de haykırıyoruz,
yarın da haykıracağız!#JinJiyanAzadî pic.twitter.com/AiPSCsUVOP— TJA-Tevgera Jinên Azad (@JinenTja) November 23, 2024
On Saturday, Turkish security forces confronted TJA organisers at the historic Ten-Eyed Bridge in the Sur district of Turkey’s Kurdish-majority Diyarbakır. The police said the slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî was now banned, describing it as “propaganda for an illegal organisation”. They warned demonstrators not to use language that they claimed was linked to “terminology of a terrorist group” and attempted to prevent women from chanting it.
🚨 #BREAKING | The slogan ‘Jin, Jiyan, Azadî’ has been banned by the governorate of Turkey’s Kurdish-majority city of Diyarbakır (Amed).#Amed | #JinJiyanAzadi | #Diyarbakir pic.twitter.com/ujTpoBhy89
— MedyaNews (@medyanews_) November 23, 2024
However, no formal documentation announcing the ban has been made public, and no official notices have been issued on government websites. Despite police efforts, women participating in the demonstration continued to chant Jin, Jiyan, Azadî and Biji berxwedana jinan (Long Live Women’s Resistance!) to the accompaniment of traditional drums.
Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party MP for Diyarbakır Adalet Kaya condemned the ban in a statement on Saturday: “Today, we learned that our slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî (Women, Life, Freedom), which we shout out together with women all over the world, has been banned by Diyarbakır Governor’s Office. We condemn this prohibitionist approach, which constantly places obstacles before women and seeks to undermine women’s achievements and motivation.”
Despite attempts to suppress the slogan, the TJA and women across Turkey continue to uphold Jin, Jiyan, Azadî as a rallying cry for freedom, resistance and solidarity. The protests and declarations highlight the enduring power of this phrase to inspire collective action and challenge systemic oppression.
