Women in Turkey
All topics-
"Open Forums" in Turkey
New Forms of Participation
The Gezi Park protests have led to the emergence of local grassroots committees or "Open Forums" in many Turkish towns and cities. Their goal: To preserve quality of life in residential areas and foster political dialogue and development. A commentary by Ceyda Nurtsch from the "Open Forum" in the Istanbul neighbourhood of Beyoğlu
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Protests in Turkey
Erdogan Braces Himself for a ''Civilian Coup''
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan refuses to be cowed by recent demonstrations. He is planning huge rallies in Istanbul and Ankara this weekend as a show of strength and determination. He has also warned that his patience has run out. By Ayhan Simsek
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Islamic Fashion Magazine ''Ala'' from Turkey
Hijab and High Heels
Turkish public opinion is divided over the Islamic fashion magazine "Ala". Most of the objections emanate from the Islamist camp, which makes it all the more surprising to learn that most of the women who read the magazine are members of the new Turkish middle class, which is politically aligned with the Islamist-leaning AKP. By Marcel Malachowski
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The Turkish Women's Rights Activist Selen Lermioğlu Yılmaz
''The Government Is Trying to Intrude in People's Private Lives''
In May the Turkish government announced its plan to limit women's access to legal abortion, later dropping the item from the parliament's agenda after harsh reactions from society. While the debate was a divisive one, it did at least provide an umbrella issue beneath which women's groups rallied, says Selen Lermioğlu Yılmaz in this interview
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Feminism, Colonialism and Islamophobia
Treacherous Sympathy with Muslim Women
Ever since the attacks of 9/11, feminists in the West have increasingly used the theme of the oppression of women in Islam as justification for war and domination. This strategy of using this rhetoric of "saving the women" in the name of "civilization" is an old ploy used many times in the past by Western imperialists, writes Leila Ahmed