‘Sexual violence is both a crime and a matter of work safety’

* Photo: Pixabay

Click to read the article in Turkish

After several women started exposing the harassment, mobbing, physical, psychological and sexual violence that they experienced in the publishing industry, a group of women working in publishing have released a joint statement and said, "We will not be mere onlookers to our discouragement."

Signed by several writers, illustrators, translators and editors such as Ayfer Tunç, Oya Baydar, Nermin Yıldırım, Pelin Buzluk and Aslı Tohumcu, the joint statement is entitled "May you lose sleep" in reference to a slogan that reads, "May you lose sleep, thinking, 'When will I be exposed?'"

The statement of the women has read:

"We, as women producing and working in publishing, pen this declaration with the pain of what we lived through in the past, the anxiety of what we will face in the future and the responsibility that we feel for our sisters.

"Be that publishers, writers or translators, the boundaries and rights of women, regardless of their positions, are violated by powerful men in our industry, as is also the case in other industries. But, finally, we have started to know about both one another and those who hurt us.

"We, the undersigned women in the publishing industry, will not be mere onlookers to our discouragement. So, we call on all institutions and organizations to take effective measures against sexual violence.

"Underlining that sexual violence is both a crime and a matter of work safety, we demand the creation of safe environments where women who were subjected to sexual violence can seek justice so that this crime will not remain a secret behind closed doors."

Some of the undersigned are as follows:

1. A. Deniz Topaktaş Varan - Doğan Egmont Copyright Editor
2. Ahu Ayan - İşbank Kültür Publications - Editor
3. Amy Marie Spangler - Founding Partner, AnatoliaLit Agency
4. Arzu Bahar - Writer - Alakarga Publications - Editor
5. Arzu Eylem - Writer - Notabene Publications - Editor
6. Aslı Biçen - Writer, Translator
7. Aslı Ilgın Kopuz - Writer
8. Aslı Mertan - Writer, Translator
9. Aslı Perker- Writer
10. Aslı Tohumcu - Writer
11. Aslı Usuşahin - Editor
12. Aslıhan Kopuz - Yabancı Publications - Graphic
13. Asuman Susam - Poet
14. Aycan Ak - Alfa Publications - Editor
15. Ayça Güçlüten - Writer
16. Ayfer Tunç - Writer
17. Aylin Gergin - İşbank Kültür Publications - Editor
18. Aysel Kordu Felekoğlu - Bkz. Publishing - Accounting
19. Ayser Ali - A&A Rights Agency
20. Ayşe Düzkan - Güldünya Publications - Editor
21. Ayşe Övür - Writer
22. Ayşe Sarıssay- Writer, Translator
23. Ayşegül Devecioglu - Writer
24. Ayşegül Tözeren - Writer
25. Ayten Kaya Görgün - Writer
26. B. Nihan Eren - Writer
27. Bahar Güneş - Halka Sanat Coordinator
28. Bahar Siber - İletişim, Editor
29. Bahar Şen Kazancı - Founder of İlksatır Publishing House
30. Bahar Ulukan - Doğan Egmont Publishing - Editor, Translator
31. Banu Özyürek - Writer
32. Başak Ertür - Translator
33. Belma Fırat
34. Bengü Ayfer Güngör - Founding Partner and Representative of Libris Copyright Agency
35. Beril Eyüboğlu - Translator
36. Berna Durmaz - Writer
37. Beste Bal - Kovan Agency - Founding Partner
38. Betül Güzhan - Domingo Publications - Graphic Designer
39. Beyza Becerikli - Can Publications - Copyright Specialist
40. Bige Doğu - Illustrator
41. Bilgen Ülgen - KaraKarga Publications
42. Bircan Değirmenci
43. Birgül Oğuz - Writer
44. Birhan Keskin -Writer
45. Buket Uzuner -Writer
46. Burcu Unsal -Writer
47. Burcu Yılmaz - Editor, Translator, Illustrator
48. Burçin Tetik -Writer
49. Büşra Balcan - Dipnot Publications, Translator
50. Cansu Akkoyun - AnatoliaLit Agency, Copyright Officer
51. Cansu Canseven - AnatoliaLit Copyright Agency
52. Cansu Dinç - Illustrator
53. Cemran Öder - Communicator
54. Ceren Ataer - Ayrıntı Publications
55. Ceylin Aksel - Can Çocuk - Editor
56. Cihan Bilgen -Writer
57. Çiçek Öztek - Alef Founding Partner, Dirimart Publications Director
58. Çiğdem Erkal - Writer, Translator
59. Damla Göl - İs Kültür Publications - Editor
60. Demet Ekmekçioğlu - Kırmızı Kedi Publishing - Sales and Marketing Coordinator
61. Demet Elkatip - Editor, Translator
62. Deniz Boz - Gunisigi Publishing - Sales Coordinator

(AÖ/SD)