Rozerin Gültekin

 

ISTANBUL - Speaking about the importance of women being political actors in building peace, DEM Party MP Özgül Saki said, “Women are not only victims of war, but also political actors at the point where they are victims. We must spread women’s voices and explain why women want peace.”

 

The process that began with Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan's “Call for Peace and a Democratic Society” on February 27 has entered a new phase with the PKK's decision to disband. In this context, the state took steps toward the long-discussed Parliamentary Commission by establishing the National Solidarity, Brotherhood, and Democracy Commission in Parliament.

 

Assessing these developments, DEM Party MP Özgül Saki emphasized the importance of this process, particularly for women.

 

‘It is more feasible to roll back patriarchy under conditions of peace’

 

Özgül Saki stated that the February 27 call was very important in terms of defining the process, adding that the call clearly laid out a roadmap for building peace. Özgül Saki said, "This process is a process that began for the equal, democratic, peaceful resolution of the Kurdish issue, but its resolution is something that directly affects all segments of society. The most concrete step from February 27 to today has been the establishment of the commission in the Assembly.

 

 We, as the DEM Party, the DEM Party Women's Assembly, feminists, and the Kurdish Women's Movement, have said that we attach great importance to the commission. Women make up half of society and are affected by all the negative consequences of war policies. War is waged on women's bodies, and it is very important to stop this. It is also more possible to roll back patriarchy in conditions of peace. Women have organized themselves anew since February 27."

 

Women are expanding their organization to promote peace

 

Emphasizing that despite the war and the lack of resolution affecting all segments of society, a united struggle is lacking, Özgül Saki said: "Women's bodies are being turned into battlefields, and while women suffer this victimization of war, they are also organizing for an equal, free, and dignified life. Women are not only victims of war, but also political subjects at the point where they are victims. 

 

Women have made the state and every segment they struggle with accept that they are political subjects, which is very important. From now on, women continue to organize themselves with new organizations and new campaigns. The DEM Party Women's Assembly is doing this, the ‘I Need Peace’ Initiative, unionized women are discussing peace. 

 

Women have a lot to do in building a democratic society, they say ‘we are ready’. We must spread women's voices and explain why women want peace. Why does a woman working in a factory need peace? Why do villagers displaced by mining in the Black Sea need peace? To answer these questions, we must create pressure through a more concrete organization. There is a lot to be done step by step ahead of us."

 

‘What do women want?’

 

Özgül Saki, emphasizing the importance of women's presence as political subjects in the process, said, "What are our demands as women? The trustees should be removed, we should regain our women's rights, the Turkish Penal Code should be changed, politics should no longer be a crime, all laws that reinforce patriarchy should be repealed, and we should return to the Istanbul Convention. Why are these important? These are things that will expand women's space for political participation. We can describe it this way in terms of expanding the political arena.

 

In this country, a very large majority of the budget goes to military spending. What they call security spending is actually the budget allocated to war policies, to armament. Since there is a process, since the weapons have been laid down, then there is no need for such spending. A policy that will allow women from all walks of life to seriously benefit from peace and bring relief to all aspects of their lives. But we also know that this is not easy. Nothing comes without a struggle."

 

‘We must expand social organization’

 

Emphasizing that the talks strengthened organization but did not end the process, Özgül Saki said: “Following the February 27 call, the DEM Party Women’s Assembly held talks with women’s units of the political dynamics. This is not just a matter for the DEM Party; it is a matter for all segments of society. We are suffering the pain of war conditions together, so let's fight together. 

 

In this process, countries that have changed governments have changed their policies. They have not left their demands solely to commissions, the Assembly, or representative politics. What we are lacking right now is the need to use that social organization as a force to pressure the government to take these steps quickly."