Selin Sayek Böke: “From Every Area Where We Hold Power, We Show Society That Another Future and Another Turkey Are Possible”

CHP Secretary General Selin Sayek Böke addressed participants at the opening of the Socialist International Women’s Council Meeting, held today in Istanbul under CHP’s hosting, by highlighting initiatives of CHP municipalities aimed at ensuring women’s equality in social life. She stated:

"Today, from every area where we hold power, we are showing society that another future and another Turkey are possible. And society is giving a very clear message: ‘This is the Turkey we want.’

Böke emphasized the historical and symbolic significance of holding this meeting in Istanbul:

"Hosting this gathering and meeting in Istanbul this week is significant in terms of timing, location, and meaning.

Istanbul is not only a city of history and culture, it is also a city of great struggle for gender equality and a pioneer in this field.

From the earliest feminist publications to giving its name to global conventions, Istanbul has carried the modern fight for women’s rights from the past to today and shows the determination to carry it into tomorrow. With its full force and its historical legacy, Istanbul continues to shape and reflect the development of women’s rights movements both in Turkey and far beyond.

The Istanbul Convention, for example, takes its name from this very ancient city."

“A Gathering That Once Again Shows the World the Existence of the Istanbul Convention”

"The Istanbul Convention, which we will discuss in the second session today, is regarded as the gold standard in the international fight against violence toward women. This convention, which guarantees women’s right to life, is rooted in our country, in this geography, in this very city.

Most importantly, this convention is the product of decades, even centuries of struggle by women. It is not a right granted by someone’s favor or whim. The Istanbul Convention exists because strong women fought, persisted, and insisted on it.

It is a gold-standard convention, born of the great struggles of millions of women from Istanbul and all of Turkey, from Chile, Mexico, Spain, the Dominican Republic, Finland, Pakistan many of whom are represented in this hall today.

Just as winning this right required a great struggle and shoulder-to-shoulder solidarity, its implementation and protection require the same level of determined, collective fight.

This is why gathering again in Istanbul is so important because this meeting reminds us of those roots and shows the world, once again, the power of this legacy."

“Millions of Women and CHP Continue the Fight to Keep the Istanbul Convention Alive”

"Turkey was one of the first signatories in 2011. But in 2021, with the stroke of a single man’s pen, our country was withdrawn from this convention without the consent of any of us.

Yet, in the face of this, millions of women stand firm and determined, continuing their great struggle to keep the Istanbul Convention alive.

And CHP is a committed partner in this fight and will remain so.

Today, our CHP mayors are working with the determination to give life to and sustain the Istanbul Convention just like our Party’s Women’s Branches and local organizations do in their ongoing struggle.

This is the guarantee of our hope for tomorrow and the proof that another future is possible."

“We Women Know That None of These Struggles Can Be Fought Alone”

"Today, the mindset that imprisoned our presidential candidate and Mayor of Istanbul, along with our colleagues, in the March 19 coup is confronted by women who courageously shout from the squares: ‘Equality, Justice, Freedom, Democracy!’

Once again, Istanbul proves to be the root of democracy, the leader of women’s equality struggles, and a city where women carry forward the understanding that:

‘Without democracy, there is no equality. Without equality, democracy cannot exist.’

Together, we are witnessing the beginning of a new, greater struggle and the strong steps being taken toward achieving results.

Because we women know that none of these struggles can be fought alone. For true change and true liberation, we must fight together.

With this awareness and understanding, women and young people stand courageously at the forefront in our squares.

That is why holding this meeting in Istanbul today bringing together world leaders, political representatives, and organized forces for rights is such a clear demonstration of the leading role of Turkey’s struggle for democracy.

From the squares, women are shouting to Turkey and the world:

‘Women will never give up on equality, democracy, and freedom.’

We will not give up.

‘Women will never compromise.’

We will not compromise.

And we will continue to stand courageously at the forefront."

“THERE CAN BE NO SOCIAL JUSTICE WITHOUT DEMOCRACY, NO PEACE WITHOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE, AND NO DEMOCRACY WITHOUT PEACE”

"The great struggle for democracy, justice, and equality led here in Istanbul by women on the frontlines comes to life today in the very theme of this meeting.

In a world that is constantly changing, amid uncertainty, there is a profound fight for women’s rights, social justice, and peace.

What unites us here today is not only our shared awareness of injustice but, perhaps more importantly, our determination, resilience, and commitment to defend women’s rights, and our transformative power that brings us together in the squares.

This transformative power comes from our ability, as women, to grasp the holistic nature of the struggle from knowing that real change can only be achieved when we approach the fight in its entirety.

We understand that success comes when local governance, national policy, and international politics are all addressed with this holistic approach.

We are the heirs of centuries of struggle, and this Council’s theme makes clear once again:

● Social justice cannot exist without democracy.

● Peace cannot exist without social justice.

● Democracy cannot exist without peace.

Without this holistic perspective, no struggle can succeed. Let us remind everyone once again:

There can be no social justice without democracy, no peace without social justice, and no democracy without peace.

Any mindset that says ‘I’ll do one today and the other tomorrow’ can never achieve lasting results."

“THE SYSTEM FORCES WOMEN TO FIGHT THEIR BIGGEST BATTLE JUST TO LIVE”

"Today, we live under a deeply male-dominated system, a system where those who hold power protect and shield one another against the powerless.

In such a system, this protection of powerholders becomes more aggressive, producing a life-or-death struggle for women against existential violence.

This is why the system forces women to wage their greatest battle for the right to life itself:

● To not be killed,

● To exist,

● To walk freely in the streets.

The very structure of this system produces this violence.

And it is precisely because of this existential fight that women demonstrate the determination to change the structure and transform the system.

This is why the fight for policies matching the gold standard of international conventions like the Istanbul Convention and ensuring they are mirrored at the national level is essential.

And it is not enough; we must continue to advance this approach from every sphere of power we hold."

“BEFORE WE EVEN COME TO POWER NATIONALLY, WE ARE KEEPING THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION ALIVE THROUGH OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS”

"Our women mayors represented here today and the male mayors who are proud to walk alongside them are saying:

● ‘We will open 24/7 women’s support hotlines for victims of violence.’ And they are opening them.

● ‘We will establish women’s shelters and solidarity houses for women at risk or facing violence.’ And they are building them.

● ‘We will provide family counseling and education centers to intervene in domestic crises.’ And they are delivering them.

They are standing with women in their fight for life.

In other words, even before we come to power nationally, CHP is already keeping the Istanbul Convention alive through our local governance.

And today, once again, we promise to all the women of Turkey:

On the very first day we come to power, we will re-sign the Istanbul Convention on behalf of all of us together."

“ALL CHP MUNICIPALITIES FIGHT TO MAKE WOMEN’S ECONOMIC PARTICIPATION A REALITY”

"This holistic struggle also reveals another form of violence in the system: economic and social exclusion.

This, too, is a form of violence. It is a mindset that:

● Blocks women from finding work,

● Erects barriers to their participation in social life,

● Keeps them away from production and employment,

● Exploits their labor if they enter the workforce,

● And denies them equal pay for equal work.

This very structure of exclusion and systemic violence produces both economic oppression and physical/psychological violence.

That is why our struggle is holistic.

Our local governments are:

● Ensuring women take leadership roles,

● Not just nominating them as a token for election quotas but guaranteeing they are elected and included in decision-making.

We know that when this happens, we see policies in action such as:

● Municipal employment offices supporting women, especially young women,

● Training and legal assistance for women entrepreneurs to start their own businesses,

● Workshops, production spaces, and skills programs for women to gain income and professions,

● Support for women’s cooperatives to grow and thrive.

All of this reflects the vision represented by every CHP municipality in this room

a vision to make women’s participation in the economy a reality and to fight for it with determination."

“FROM EVERY AREA WHERE WE HOLD POWER, WE SHOW SOCIETY THAT ANOTHER FUTURE AND ANOTHER TURKEY ARE POSSIBLE”

"Most importantly, we are opening public nurseries.

Against a mentality that has turned care into a burden left entirely on women’s shoulders rather than treating care as a service of a social state our message is clear: ‘We are here. We will open nurseries in every neighborhood. We offer women not a burden, but joyful time with their children and a beautiful life with their families.’

Today, from every area where we hold power, we are showing society that another future and another Turkey are possible.

And society is sending a very clear message: ‘This is the Turkey we want.’

How do we know this?

Because in the most recent local elections on March 31, 2024, CHP became the leading party, and since that day, it remains the leading party.

This is precisely why the government continues to threaten and attack CHP, its mayors, and particularly our Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality Mayor with intimidation and arrests.

They failed and we know very well that they will continue to fail."

“FROM ISTANBUL, A POWERFUL MESSAGE ECHOES ACROSS TURKEY: ‘ANOTHER ORDER IS POSSIBLE’”

"From Istanbul to all of Turkey, and from Turkey to the entire world, a powerful message is being sent:

‘Another order is possible,’ the people say.

In that new order, the people declare:

● ‘Against autocracy, democracy is possible.’

● ‘Against injustice and violence, a social state is possible.’

The people’s will is clear: ‘We see it, we want it.’

We face a mentality that believes it can silence this will. But the reality is this:

Our concrete actions and our work itself have already convinced society that a new, more equal, more just, and more peaceful order is possible.

Our promises are not abstract dreams or distant goals; they are realities the people can see.

Citizens who witness these actions take ownership of them and lead the struggle for democracy to build that better future.

Our duty is to support this leadership to stand beside them, behind them when needed, and at their forefront when necessary.

Together with CHP leaders, the representatives of the social democratic parties present here, and the powerful women’s movements, we will turn this vision into reality so that this ‘other’ future is no longer just a dream or a target, but a lived truth."

“I FEEL STRONG BECAUSE I AM PART OF A LEADERSHIP THAT DOES NOT LEAVE WOMEN’S PLACE IN POLITICS TO WORDS ALONE”

"I feel very strong for being part of this struggle.

And I feel equally strong because I am part of a leadership that does not leave the idea of ‘women must have a stronger place in politics’ at the podium or in speeches.

In the CHP central leadership, women and men are equally represented not because of a quota, but because our political understanding has always embraced equal representation, even before it was written into our quotas.

And we know this:

● Those who do not stop at words, but act, will build the future.

● Those who turn promises into action, who create real policies, will succeed.

Because we know that democracy cannot exist without equality, and equality cannot exist without democracy.

We know that women’s presence in politics is the guarantee of their presence in all areas of life.

And no matter what kind of sexist attacks, discriminatory language, or challenges women face in politics, we will continue to say:

‘We are here. We were here. We are here. And together, we will always be here.’"

“WE SEND OUR LOVE AND GREETINGS TO İMAMOĞLU AND OUR COMRADES”

"There is no doubt that we will build that new order together.

Democracy will prevail. Justice will be established. Equality will exist.

Because we know that in Turkey and across the world, millions of determined women, full of hope and resilience, are part of this struggle.

Today, to Istanbul the heart of this great will and the struggle for democracy and justice we welcome you all.

And once again, from all of you, we send our strongest love and greetings to our Istanbul Metropolitan Mayor and presidential candidate, Mr. Ekrem İmamoğlu, and our comrades, who are watching us today from Silivri Prison.

Our words will become actions, no doubt about that."