‘Purple Summit’ by İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality

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The opposition-led İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İMM) organized "Purple Summit Meetings" based on the İstanbul Convention, from which Turkey has withdrawn by the Presidential decision of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on March 20.

Held at the Haliç Congress Center in Sütlüce in İstanbul on June 24-25, the Purple Summit was attended by İstanbul Metropolitan Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Dilek Kaya İmamoğlu and main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) İstanbul MP Emine Gülizar Emecan.

'Unfortunate'

In his opening remarks, İmamoğlu underlined the importance of the İstanbul Convention, briefly stating the following:

The Purple Summit is another dimension of this. What is done to the İstanbul Convention is injustice; it is unfortunately presumptuous. Because this is an issue which contains a universal concept and its great contribution to gender equality within this concept has been accepted by all countries of the world. It is very unfortunate that the ones who signed this in the past are now giving up on it without letting society discuss, without talking about how they feel and what they think. It is unfortunate for the world and for our country.

Women's labor on the agenda

On the second day of the Purple Summit, Foundation for the Support of Women's Work (KEDV) representative Şengül Akçar and Arya Women's Investment Platform Founding Member Münteha Adalı addressed the audience. Specifically focusing on women's labor, Akçar said:

"We have been working against poverty almost all across Turkey for 35 years. We, as the KEDV, are aware that there is corruption and inequality.

"Today, one of the most important problems of the world is poverty and income inequality. The richest five people of Turkey has more than 30 percent of the wealth.

"Women, with their invisible labor, make the wheels of the world turn. Behind the affluence created by this system is women's labor.

"We need to change our outlook on the poor. We know that whoever touches the poor wins; but the ones who lose are the poor.

"According to the World Bank, Turkey has once again got richer with the rich. At least 7 million people have faced the risk of losing their jobs. Women's workload has increased. Women have been subjected to more trauma.

"Women went from street to street and found out people's needs. They enabled these people in need to meet with the organizations. An action plan has been developed out of this.

"We have examined the experiences around the world. We have seen how critically important local solidarity networks are. We have seen that the future will be labor intensive.

"There is a need for public policies that targets women's participation and funding for women's collectives, rather than excluding women's problems."

'We migrated to İstanbul overnight'

Afterwards, Münteha Adalı took the floor. Telling her own story, Adalı briefly stated the following at the Purple Summit:

I grew up in poor conditions in Urfa. There were conflicts. I grew up in a crowded family. I went to the Erenköy Girls High School in İstanbul... My family migrated to İstanbul overnight. We settled in Erenköy. The struggle in İstanbul began. That was when I understood that neither women nor men are free in this country.

The closing speech of the Purple Summit was made by İMM Deputy Secretary General Dr. Şengül Altan Arslan: "We have learned a lot here. I hope that you have the opportunity to see what the Municipality has done and to bring it to the field..." (EMK/SD)