AKP's 'family' circular: Plan to take over women's lives

  • women
  • 09:38 24 May 2024
  • |
img
ANKARA - Evaluating AKP's "Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family", EŞİK Volunteer Özgül Kapdan said: "This document is a plan to take over women's lives. We no longer have the luxury of discussing the issue piece by piece."
 
The "Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family" with the signature of AKP Chair and President Tayyip Erdoğan was published in the Resmi Gazette on May 15. While the action plan in question took steps that incarcerate women at home and reinforced women's roles within the family, Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş admitted in her statement that they prioritized "family", not women. 
 
Women's Platform for Equality (EŞİK) Volunteer Özgül Kapdan spoke about the effects of the action plan on society, especially women.
 
THE FINAL OF AKP'S 22 YEARS OF POLICIES
 
Stating that the action plan presented as "local and national" was seen as the "final state" of AKP's 22-year-old policies, Kapdan said: "Abortion was wanted to be banned, women were wanted to make divorce more difficult, muezzins (religious persons like imam) were appointed to shelters instead of psychologists, and the three-child policy was imposed.  Most importantly, attempts were made to constantly lower the age of marriage. An amnesty was imposed, which would pave the way for the issue of forced marriage at a young age and pave the way for the age of marriage to be changed in the civil law with subsequent decisions. This agenda was brought to the Parliament several times. Again, child molesters and rapists were released from prison with execution laws that violated the law. With the latest plan in question, women are asked to submit, without objecting to anything, and continue their male-dominant families under the name of marriage."
 
REGIME CHANGE
 
Pointing out that the "Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family" was not prepared in line with the needs of the society, Kapdan also said that they were trying to move the society to a different place with the 9th Judicial Package. Pointing out the action plan in question as well as the work carried out together with Diyanet, Kapdan said: “When we consider it together with the curriculum change; This is actually putting the final nail in the coffin of secularism. When we look at it since 2010, we can say that the Ministry of Religious Affairs has a secret agenda regarding women's rights. We have said since the first day that the role of Diyanet is a threat to the country's regime. This is a regime, a change of management style. It is extremely dangerous to put the Diyanet in the spotlight, especially on an issue that directly concerns the lives of families and women. Following this system, we can also see that discourses such as 'Girls cannot go to school and should not go to university' become reality. What is being done here is like a group trying to take over women's lives. The document presented to us is the plan for this."
 
'WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF DISCUSSING PIECES OF PIECES'
 
Underlining that the action plan sent to the governorships is not a short-term study, Kapdan said: “The gains of the CHP and DEM Party in the past local elections showed that a change was experienced in which a real social municipalism would be implemented. It may also have been thought of as a mechanism to postpone, push back, and replace this achievement. CHP's nursery policy has been considered as an obstacle to the DEM Party's ability to create women-friendly areas since the beginning, although we have not seen it recently due to trustees. It is clear that this circular aims to prevent social and egalitarian municipalism. Therefore, this action plan should not be taken lightly.
 
We are in an incredible scenario as if there were people who did not protect the family and, moreover, they were spreading some harmful ideas. There is no structure that looks at this scenario holistically and opposes it all together. This problem is everyone's problem. It is also the problem of the people who vote for the government. Everyone needs to understand that we are in a package program and that we will be taken to very dangerous places by using the majority of the Parliament. We no longer have the luxury of discussing the issue piece by piece. They come before us with a holistic program; We must see this now. If what is intended to be done is explained correctly; There are many people who will not fall into this trap and will oppose these impositions. This is also a hope.” 
 
MA / Hivda Çelebi

View More Articles

29/07/2025
19:26 Journalists in front of Israeli Consulate: We stand with our Palestinian colleagues
19:12 Impunity decision in case of women's bodies being publicly displayed during Cizîr curfew
18:06 Asrin Law Office: Biased and false news about Veysi Aktaş aimed at undermining the process
10:59 'We Want graves of our loved ones and the perpetrators to be prosecuted'
10:40 Police officer who killed 7-year-old child will not be prosecuted
10:16 33 Years without journalist Abayay: His successors continue the search for truth
09:56 Call to strengthen the Democratic Unity Initiative
09:32 Jakob Migenda: Öcalan's freedom is a sign of the liberation of peoples
28/07/2025
21:45 Öcalan: Participation of all segments in process is a vital necessity
21:08 Abdullah Öcalan and prisoners in İmralı meet with families
12:12 Letter from 100 women: We want to meet Öcalan
11:02 Observation Boards target hopes for peace and resolution
10:44 Two prisoners’ sentences cancelled at Düzce T-Type Prison
10:14 Why the Autonomous Administration and Damascus meeting postponed?
09:26 Participants in National Unity Conference: We can win together
26/07/2025
12:24 Unity among Kurds will lead to victory says Mehmet Kamac
12:04 'Conference on the Importance of Kurdish National Unity' begin
09:10 Veysi Aktaş who held in İmralı releases
09:04 Statement by İmralı delegation after meeting with Abdullah Öcalan
25/07/2025
09:50 Letter from 88 Nobel laureates to international organisations
24/07/2025
10:08 Mexmur Residents: We want to return to our lands with dignity
10:05 Peace Mothers Assembly: Peace cannot be one-sided
09:57 Conferences in Bazîd and Mêrdîn to focus on Kurdish Unity and Peace Process
23/07/2025
09:15 Emine Ocak passed away
22/07/2025
13:17 Democratic Alevi Associations Co-chair: Burning weapons marks the birth of new existences
13:01 Lawyer Veysi Atmaca: Constitutional reform is vital for resolving the Kurdish issue
12:38 Legal guarantees are needed for those who lay down arms says journalist Bayramoglu
12:13 Citizens in Aydın: All parties must engage their base in peace process
21/07/2025
15:21 Letter to 18 countries: Recognise the Yazidi genocide
14:56 You will witness progress taking place on the Parliament floor says Erdogan
14:00 'Freedom for Öcalan' march to be organised in Europe
13:37 We will build a free and equal life says DEM Party Women’s Assembly Spokesperson
12:52 Women to lead the process by expanding their organization
12:33 MIT Director Kalın to visit DEM Party
12:17 35 prisoners denied release in Bolu Prison
11:04 Circassians want to take part in Parliamentary Peace Commission
10:49 Civil society launches petition to join peace process in Amed
10:13 No government formed in Kurdistan region nine months after elections
09:58 Kurdish mother demands peace and justice after losing two children
20/07/2025
21:06 We will organise more in the new period says DBP Co-chair
20:43 Final Declaration from Êzidîs
20:00 Iran attacks on Eastern Kurdistan Defense Units
14:25 Commemoration for 33 'Dream Travelers': Call for accountability
11:19 Zeynep Yaman: My baby faced state violence before was even born
10:36 Watching the historic ceremony: Denial and assimilation must end
10:13 A Dream Traveller on road to Kobanê: Hogir
18/07/2025
21:10 85-year-old ill prisoner Sıddık Guler releases
21:01 What decisions taken at Commission meeting?
19:55 Release of 30-year prisoner postponed for the 2nd time
19:03 2 journalists acquitted 1 journalist sentenced