Physical and psychological violence on women’s bodies in Turkish prisons using the example of „Sara: My whole life was a struggle – prison years“
Sakine Cansız (Sara), born in 1958 in Dersim (Trk .: Tunceli) joined the Kurdish Resistance struggle at the age of 18 and is one of two women * who attended the founding congress of the Kurdistan Workers‘ Party (1978). She focused on the organization of women * in the various areas of Turkey and northern Kurdistan, as she saw no other way out of the fight for liberation than to go with women. Historically, there were no similar women’s organizations in Turkey and Northern Kurdistan at this time; neither in the Turkish left nor in the national Kurdish structures. Thus, Sakine Cansız (Sara) laid the foundation for the Kurdish women’s movement.
One year before the military coup in 1980, Sakine Cansız was arrested. During her eleven-year detention (1979-1990) in various Turkish prisons, she was the victim of severe torture, which she resolutely resisted, becoming a symbol of the Kurdish women’s liberation struggle. In this second volume, Sakine Cansız describes the eleven years in prison, with special emphasis on treating the time in Amed prison (Trk .: Diyarbakır) after the 1980 military coup. In it, she discusses gender relations and the relevance of the equation Ms. * – Kurdin * – Revolutionary * when it comes to the physical and psychological violence to women’s bodies in Turkish prisons. Central figure of the violence was the then supreme commander in the military prison Amed (Trk .: Diyarbakır) – Esat Oktay Yıldıran, who described the pain screams of the women * during the torture as „beautiful melody“. This violence was manifested in physical, mental and sexual violence against women * and their bodies. Women’s bodies have always been a key point of attack, especially in situations of high power disparity, such as war and prison, in patriarchal oppression. In the case of Amed Prison (Trk .: Diyarbakır), among other things, it is torture in the form of bastinado, rape, genital violence, as well as psychological torment, such as solitary confinement, stacking of naked prisoners, urinating on prisoners, which resulted in satisfaction with Yıldıran. Another humiliation was the question of nationality, in particular, he met with resistance at Sakine Cansız. Despite repeated inquiries she answered that she was Kurdin and emphasized: „Above all, I am a revolutionary. In the revolution, the origin is not so important, but I’m Kurdin. If I were Turkish, I would undoubtedly admit it. „This was followed by the bastinado, by Sakine
Cansız was answered with silence until she lost consciousness.
Sakine Cansız (Sara) is known not only for her strong and confident stance, but also for her warmth and conviction of the revolution. Resistance not only showed her in prison with Esat Oktay Yıldıran and the other fascist prison guards of the coup regime, but also as the first woman in the Kurdish liberation struggle that presented a political defense to the court and the organization of women * and women’s solidarity in prison in response the inhuman physical and mental practice in the Turkish prisons of the coup regime. She continued this struggle after her imprisonment in various areas of the Kurdish liberation movement until her death. On January 9, 2013, Sakine Cansız (Sara), along with her comrades Fidan Doğan (Rojbîn) and Leyla Şaylemez (Ronahî), was murdered in cold blood in Paris by the Turkish secret service (MıT).
The study of violence against women’s bodies must be an integral part of feminist and socio-critical analyzes. Women * can never be bodiless; their bodies are always one of the targets of patriarchy. This is shown in such drastic remarks in this book or in other war crimes – such as the systematic rape of women – part of the ideology of Daesh – but also in abortion bans, the Rape Culture or the debate over the Burkini ban. The patriarchal discipline and the shame of (women *) bodies are mutually dependent.
These and other topics on the situation of women * in Turkish prisons will be part of the event. Even without having read the biography of Sakine Cansız (Sara) or any other prior knowledge, participation in the event and discussion is possible.
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