Cornerstones of July 15: Women who are more powerful than tanks.

• Author: Yilmaz, Aydin Sare
• Position: COMMENTARY - Essay

ABSTRACT Public reaction to the coup attempt in Turkey on July15, 2016, organized by members of a terrorist organization in the Turkish Army received a wide coverage in the Western media. This coverage however failed to reflect the pulse of the streets and the active presence of women from every segment of society in protests. This commentary argues that the ethnocentric and biased coverage of the events by the Western media, their ignorance and negligence of the heroic struggle of women against the coup attempt is a result of feminist orientalism that portrays Eastern women as oppressed, submissive and incapable of taking their own decision and act upon it.

Introduction

CNN International published a report entitled, "Turkey Coup Attempt: Reaction on the Streets of Istanbul" on July 18, 2016, shortly after the coup attempt in Turkey. It conveyed comments from an American who caught images from the Turkish street and stated, "Despite the older woman up front, there were no women marching with the men." Based on this comment, the report further claimed that "the older woman was the only female in the group that was headed down Istiklal Caddesi (Independence Street) toward Taksim Square," in Istanbul. Similarly, a number of accounts in the social media shared comments propagating the lack of women in protests against the coup makers while the coup was unfolding. Despite much evidence to the contrary, the reported "lack of women" has been used as the evidence for the alleged patriarchal character of the anti-coup mobilization against the secular state establishments of Turkey, such as the military. In parallel, Western media and social media accounts disseminated photos of violent male-dominated protests. To cite one example, Public Radio International claimed, "Images of protesters on the streets are mostly men...the fact that mostly conservatives are holding vigils at the squares might be a factor in women's absence." (1)

Despite this early representation of the anti-coup protesters, reports proving the active participation of women in anti-coup protests started to find their place, especially in the Turkish media. For example, the Daily Sabah described women as heroic when it comes to defending their nations. In an article entitled, "The Women of Turkey's Anti-Coup Protest," one woman is quoted as saying, "I don't care what others wear, and they don't care about what I wear. This is not about lifestyle or politics. We were there for our country. It was a matter of life and death for Turkey." (2) In another example, the Hurriyet Daily News published a report documenting leading women actors who actively participated in anti-coup mobilization. (3) This paper aims to contribute to such reports in order to do justice to the many women who played a key role in suppressing the coup attempt against the elected government of Turkey. By doing so, the paper also focuses on civil society in Turkey and its role during the mobilization of protests against the coup makers. In repelling the attempted coup in Turkey on July 15, the fact that the nation has reacted assertively by putting forward its willpower, has once again shown to the whole world how much the influence of civil society can grow, and its determination to protect democracy. This assertiveness no doubt marks an important milestone that clearly indicates the existence of a conscious civil society in Turkey against the terrorist organizations attempting to seize the government and deal a blow to the nation's willpower. From this point of view, in this article, civil society, women and democracy will be emphasized.

The coups of the 60s and 80s, the March 12 Memorandum, the February 28 post-modern coup, and ultimately the April 27 e-memorandum, all of which constitute interventions in Turkey's democratic civil government, also provide a litmus test of the strength of the nation's willpower, and, until recently, have all been projections of the ill fate that has attempted to dominate the history of Turkey. What reversed this ill fate following the attempted coup of July 15, 2016, is the "civil defense" move, a massing of national will put forward by ordinary citizens gathering in the streets, and organizing against heavy weapons in order to protect their government and assembly, which were elected by democratic means. This willpower shown by Turkey in protecting democracy is significant evidence of a conscious reaction, specifically against this attempted coup, and against the coup tradition whose consequences Turkish civil society has been forced to bear for many years. The success of society's democratic fight against the attempted coup, Turkey has once again clearly shown that the willpower of the nation is a power above all. This awakening ensures that a more conscious and deliberate civil society can be developed and grow in solidarity in Turkey against terrorist organizations, and that this anti-coup understanding that protects democracy can find a place in the social base. This personal investment in democracy by citizens has an additional importance from the viewpoint of the protection of democracy and the democratic regime that was put forward in the EU adventure. There is an irrevocable acceptance of the superiority of the law and the value of democratic improvement at...