Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Women in Turkey brave ban on Istanbul march, get tear-gassed

Women in Turkey have braved an official ban on an International Women’s Day march in Istanbul, demonstrating for about two hours before police used tear gas to disperse remaining protestors and detained several people

Mehmet Guzel,Zeynep Bilginsoy
Wednesday 08 March 2023 20:38 GMT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Women in Turkey braved an official ban on an International Women’s Day march in Istanbul, demonstrating for about two hours before police used tear gas to disperse remaining protestors and detained several people.

Thousands converged on a central neighborhood Wednesday for a protest that combined women's rights with the staggering toll of the deadly quake that hit Turkey and Syria a month ago.

Organizers had been forbidden — for the second straight year — from marching down the popular Istiklal pedestrian avenue in Turkey's biggest city where Women's Day marches were held since 2003. Police blocked demonstrators' access to the avenue. An Associated Press journalist saw officers detain at least 30 people and use tear gas after the group ended their demonstration at 2100 local time (1800 GMT).

Local authorities banned the march, saying the area was not an authorized demonstration site. They also claimed the march could “provoke” segments of Turkish society, lead to verbal or physical attacks, be misused by terror groups and threaten national security — as well as curtailing freedom of movement in the cultural and tourist area.

Metro stations in the vicinity were closed.

Lale Pesket, a 28-year-old theater student, said that was unfair.

“We are not harming anyone, but unfortunately, we are faced with police violence every time,” she said. "Our only concern is the emancipation of women, we want free spaces in a world without violence and better economic conditions, especially for women.”

Protesters held banners reading “we are angry, we are in mourning” for the more than 46,000 people who died in Turkey in buildings widely considered unsafe and the hundreds of thousands left homeless in the Feb. 6 quake.

One banner read “control contractors, not women,” referring to contractors who are accused of ignoring building regulations and contributing to the devastation.

“Living as a woman in Turkey is already difficult enough and one of the reasons we are here is ... the earthquake ... and the people who were left under the rubble,” 23-year-old university student Gulsum Ozturk said.

Protest organizers also slammed the government for withdrawing from a European treaty — signed in 2011 in Istanbul and named after the city — that protects women from domestic violence, and “endangering the lives of millions of women.”

Turkey's We Will Stop Femicides Platform said 328 women were killed by men in the past year.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in