Foundation of Turkish Republic was a revolution for women’s rights: CHP head
ANKARA
The declaration of the Republic of Turkey in 1923 in itself was a revolution for women’s rights thanks to the visionary founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu has said, while slamming the current government over the treatment of women in today’s Turkey.
“However the republic had contributed greatly to the women in Turkey, the women also contributed to the development of our republic. The Republic is in itself a women’s revolution,” Kılıçdaroğlu said at a meeting on the occasion of International Women’s Day in the northwestern province of Edirne on March 8.
Claiming one’s right and standing against mistreatment are the joint duties of the people, Kılıçdaroğlu said, recalling that what lies beneath international women’s movements are pain, tears and the fight for dignity and identity.
“All the women in the world are now united under this honorable identity. Turkish women were granted their rights much before any country thanks to Atatürk,” he stressed.
Saying that Turkey is heading to municipal elections under a cloud of massive economic problems, the CHP chair said the women were those suffering most from poverty and unemployment.
“I have shown a picture of a woman collecting food from garbage as an example of Turkey in the 21st century. The face of the woman was not seen and she was one of the thousands of others. These people are trying to get something out of what we call ‘street economy.’ I have shown this picture but it did not move even a person as it is normal,” he said.
Kılıçdaroğlu slammed the government for not adequately addressing the economic and social problems of the people, saying: “They say Turkey is growing fast. So what is this picture of the woman searching for food in garbage? Six million people are trying to earn their livelihood in the streets.”
“These are the women that suffer most from poverty,” he added.
