NEWS CENTER - Mechthild Exo, a member of the Defend Kurdistan Initiative, who held talks in Hewlêr and Sulaymaniyah, said, "The society rejects Turkey's aggression and we aim to stop this invasion together with them."

 

With the operation launched by Turkey against the Federated Kurdistan Region, the KDP forces began to deploy forces in the areas where the HPG is located. Activists who reacted to the KDP's alliance with Turkey, went to the region from 14 countries of the world and held a series of meetings. The Defend Kurdistan Initiative, which is composed of feminists, writers, politicians, journalists and ecologists, encountered obstacles by KDP forces in Hewler. While some members of the initiative were deported, the remaining members in the region held a series of meetings in Sulaymaniyah, Hewlêr and Maxmur Camp.

 

German Feminist Mechthild Exo, a member of the Defend Kurdistan Initiative and held meetings in Hewlêr and Sulaymaniyah, evaluated the their meetings despite the obstacles to the Mesopotamia Agency (MA).

 

JINEOLOGICAL POINT OF VIEW

 

Feminist Mechthild Exo said, “I work on jineology in Germany. The Jineological perspective offers a lot in the sense of preventing conflict, resolving and building peace, reinforcing the bond of society with each other and the environment of peace and free life. This delegation consists of people from many different backgrounds and fields. I thought that this perspective should be within this diversity.  So we really try to meet with the people and refer to their thoughts on women's liberation. This is very important to us, to me.” 

 

THEY ARE AGAINST FREE LIFE 

 

Stating that they are in contact with Kurdish women in Europe and they carry out a coordinated work, Exo said, “There are Kurdish women in our delegation. Here we had meetings with many organizations. Apart from that, we also met with shattered families, non-governmental organizations, ecological structures, political parties and trade unions. And we have learned a lot so far. We have seen here that the society rejects Turkey's aggression and we aim to stop this invasion together with them. Working together, we will try to make  Turkey leave Kurdistan. The fascist understanding is a policy against all kinds of democratization and women's rights, free life or a common society."

 

KURDISH WOMEN'S MOVEMENT IS A ROLE MOTHER FOR THE WORLD

 

Drawing attention to the importance of the existence of the Kurdish women's movement, Exo said, “Yes, Kurdish women have had an organized structure for a very long time. They have such a strong knowledge and experience that this has given them. They come from an experience of liberation struggle and autonomy. The infrastructure of Jineology comes from the organization of women within these structures and their experiences. Women are building a foundation under which it is underlined that society cannot be liberated without obtaining the freedom of women. This is a crucial part of building a united and free society without colonialism and any form of domination. The Kurdish women's movement is a role model for all of us. We are currently in talks with other solidarity groups and other democracy forces as a delegation. They support us."

 

NATURE IS BEING DESTROYED

 

Expressing that the Kurds should have a clear stance against Turkey's operations, Exo said, "This aggressive situation of Turkey is very dangerous. Political parties and organizations in the four parts of Kurdistan should take a clear stance against this. If Turkey succeeds here, an antidemocratic and severe colonialism situation will occur. Nobody wants this. Therefore, we have to oppose this war attempt very strongly. We must put an end to this military intervention that has caused so much suffering. They destroy nature every day, they burn forests. This is a catastrophe for the families living here. This delegation we are in is an effort to build a democratic and free life and we would like to be a part of it. Together with the organizations that are active here, we organized marches in the streets of Süleymaniyah. Artists, intellectuals, local people also participated. We invite everyone to take to the streets and support this work. We will tell Europe what we have learned here. The people do not want the peshmerga and the guerrilla to fight each other. We have to stop a possible war and be a part of this struggle. That's why we're here.”

 

Emphasizing that problems should be solved with dialogue, not conflicts, Exo who is doing a research on motherhood said, “You don't need to be a mother to suffer in empathy about what's going on here. Maternal values ​​are still very strong in this region. There are many mountains, caves and structures that represent women and take their names from important historical female characters. Therefore, we can say that there is a matriarchal spirit in these lands."

 

THE ROLE OF THE WOMEN

 

Stating that it is very important for women to be included in the peace processes, as women have also included in the resolutions of many international organizations such as the United Nations, Exo said: “When you look at the peace processes, in 90%, even almost 100% of the cases where the process is successful, women participated in the negotiations. You can also see this in the statistics. That's why we know how important the role of women's rights and the fight against patriarchy is in maintaining peace here. That's why we should all be in solidarity with organizations and structures made up of strong women." 

 

 

MA / Müjdat Can - Gözde Çağrı Özköse