The Women’s Council established by the DEM Party-run municipality in Muş in June has begun its work. The aim of the council is to take on a leading role in women’s organization in the region and to work harder for women’s rights and self-determination.
Çiçek Tutuş, co-chair of the DEM Party’s provincial association, explained that the establishment of the Women’s Council was a response to the call by Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan for peace and democratic society. “Women should play a key role in this process. That is why we decided to establish a women’s council,” said Tutuş. She emphasized that the women’s council is a platform that will enable women to position themselves as actors in society and raise their voices.
The struggle will continue
The Women’s Council, which currently has around 25 members, will be active not only in the city of Muş, but also in rural areas and suburbs. “It’s about women making their own decisions and developing their free will through organization,” Tutuş continued. She pointed out that there had been a similar initiative in the past, but that it had been broken up due to state repression and repeated arrests. “Despite the oppression and the prison sentences that our friends are still serving, we will continue the struggle,” said Tutuş.
“Women hold the key to peace in their hands”
Tutuş emphasized that the women’s movement plays a central role in the Kurdish struggle for freedom and in the creation of a democratic, peaceful model of society. She recalled Öcalan’s appeal and stressed that without the leadership of women, there would be no success in building a democratic society: “The threads of democracy and peace are in the hands of women. It is women who will drive these processes forward through their organization and the development of their free will,” she said.
Tutuş emphasized that it was not enough to remain passive while the peace process continued. “We cannot just stay at home and hope that the peace process will happen on its own. We must strengthen resistance everywhere and actively work for change,” she said, stressing the importance of advocacy and direct action when necessary.
The fight against impunity and femicide
The Women’s Council announced that it would also hold workshops, training courses, and awareness-raising activities to promote women’s participation in rural areas and disadvantaged neighborhoods. Particular focus will be placed on femicide and the ongoing impunity for these crimes maintained by the government. Tutuş pointed to the case of Kurdish woman Fatma Altınmakas, who was raped by her brother-in-law in 2020 but was unable to report the crime due to a lack of Kurdish-speaking assistance and was later murdered by her husband. “Cases like this must stop. The government is pursuing a policy of impunity, and we must stand up against it as a society and as women,” she said.
Tutuş also recalled the case of Kader Kevser Eltürk (Ekin Wan). The female guerrilla fighter was killed in August 2015 during fighting that broke out while curfews imposed by the Turkish state were in place. Shortly afterwards, photos taken by members of a Turkish police special unit were circulated on the internet. They showed Ekin Wan’s naked and disfigured body being dragged through the streets of Muş. “This act caused great outrage in society. The fact that society reacted shows that we as women will not be deterred by our bodies or our dignity. We will continue this resistance until the end,” Tutuş said resolutely.
Call for solidarity and support
Tutuş called on all women to join the newly formed council and fight together for their rights and the future of a free society. “The Women’s Council will be a place where women can contribute their voices, their identities, and their perspectives. We invite all women to join us,” she concluded.
Source: ANF News
