Turkish police arrest 13 women for insulting Erdogan

Turkish police arrested 13 people who took part in Women's Day rallies in the Taksim district of Istanbul on 8 March. The arrests took place after the end of the Feminist Night March for chanting anti-government slogans, but the authorities later clarified that the arrests were in response to a series of insults and disqualifications directed at President Erdogan. 

Prosecutors ordered the arrests after reviewing footage of a group of demonstrators protesting against the government, according to the local governor's office. Up to 18 people were identified, but only 13 were detained. Among those arrested was even a minor. The women were taken to the Palace of Justice in Istanbul and later released with a ban on leaving the country. Two of the detainees claimed to have been strip-searched, a practice already denounced by an opposition MP.

The demonstrators were reportedly arrested for shouting slogans such as "jump, jump, the one who does not jump is Tayyip" or "Tayyip flee, flee, flee, the women are coming". Erdogan had promised to open up freedom of expression only a week earlier, but insulting the president is a criminal offence in Turkey, according to the controversial article 299 of the Penal Code, punishable by sentences of around four years in prison, or more if such criticism is made in the media. 

The opening up of freedom of expression, along with the right to a fair trial, is part of a government action plan to combat the erosion of human rights for which the Turkish government has been strongly criticised by the opposition and various international actors. However, according to a statement by the University Women's Collective, the police went so far as to raid the homes of women identified in the protests in order to arrest them. 

The demonstrations, framed within the framework of Women's Day, aimed to point out the hostile conditions faced by women in Turkey, 300 of whom were killed during 2020. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of Istanbul in denunciation, although this time the police did not break up the rallies as had happened in previous years, so the march ended peacefully. 

"Once again, I strongly condemn all kinds of physical and mental violence and discrimination against women, which I consider a crime against humanity. We will continue our struggle with determination and sensitivity to create an environment where our women are not subjected to violence," Erdogan said in his Women's Day appearance. The president expressed his support: "We will act shoulder to shoulder towards the future as a whole nation with women and men to take our country to a more advanced and developed level and achieve our goals", and took the opportunity to praise the efforts of women "throughout Turkey's history". 

However, authoritative voices have questioned the femicide figures. Several women's associations and activists have denounced the authorities' concealment of the murders of women, claiming that they are suicides. Behind the figure of 300 murdered women, the data show more than 100 deaths that have yet to be clarified, many possibly associated with femicides.  

Since Erdogan came to power in 2014, the decline of freedoms in Turkey has been palpable. Increased pressure on the Kurds, repression against the Gülen movement, imprisonment of journalists and dissidents, hate crimes against refugees and ethnic and religious minorities, torture and continued ill-treatment, among other humiliations, have led to the almost total disappearance of human rights. This section also includes the unfavourable situation of women.

The annual Freedom House report no longer lists Turkey as a free state, and the 2020 Democracy Index by The Economist Intelligence Unit lists Turkey as the 104th democracy out of 192 countries, although it is currently classified as a 'hybrid regime'. Of all NATO states, Turkey maintains the lowest score, clearly galloping towards authoritarianism.

The European Commission noted in a report issued last year that democratic standards, the rule of law and fundamental freedoms continue to be eroded by the lack of effective checks and balances. The international community is aware that the Turkish judiciary validates false accusations, and arrests and convictions are carried out without the need for clear evidence. The Turkish government attacks human rights even beyond its borders, especially in its offensives against the Kurds in northern Syria. 

Erdogan's aspiration to concentrate all state powers has led him to undermine the fundamental pillars on which Turkey's already imperfect political system was built. The constitutional amendments, the dissolution of the rule of law and the effective control of the executive over the judiciary have tied Turkey's institutions in knots, and they continue to be in free fall.