After the brutality at the Edirnekapı Walls, hundreds of women took to the streets.

After the attacker Semih Çelik murdered Ayşenur Halil in Eyüpsultan, he killed İkbal Uzuner half an hour later at the historic Edirnekapı Walls, which became a scene for women's outcry. Numerous women's organizations gathered under the walls to protest the increasing violence against women.

Following the murders of two young women yesterday, the We Will Stop Femicide Platform held a protest in front of the Edirnekapı Walls, where one of the murders took place. Many women participated in the action supported by CHP, DEM Party, EHP Socialist Feminists, CHP Istanbul Provincial Vice Chair Hülya Özdemir, CHP Çekmeköy District Women's Branch, CHP Şişli Youth Branch, CHP Eyüpsultan Women's Branch Chair Arzu Özen Uzunoğlu, CHP Istanbul Provincial Women's Branch Vice Chair Sevtap Attepe, Deva Party women's organizations, and numerous civil society organizations.

"THE PERPETRATORS WILL NOT GO UNPUNISHED"

During the action, banners reading "We will put an end to impunity. We will stop harassment and murder" were displayed, and slogans such as "Ministry, open your eyes, women were killed here," "This country's İkbal does not exist," "Violence will not go unpunished," "Perpetrators will not go unpunished," "AK Party, stop watching and enforce the law," and "You will never walk alone" were chanted. A call was made for the implementation of Law No. 6284. During the protest, it was emphasized that the centuries-old historic walls would now be associated with femicide, stating, "What women need is not family, but equality."

"GIVE UP RESISTING THE IDEA OF EQUALITY"

Speaking during the protest, Güneş Fadime Akşahin, a representative of the Young Feminists Federation, said, "Today we came to protest in front of these walls. Look at these huge Edirnekapı walls. Why? Because we have to associate even a historical structure of Istanbul with femicide. Authorities, do you hear us? We associate centuries-old walls with femicide. From now on, whenever someone hears the word wall, they will think of our sister İkbal," she said. Akşahin continued, "Yesterday, the life of a very young woman was brutally taken. We later learned that on the same day, Semih Çelik also killed 19-year-old Ayşenur Halil. In broad daylight, a man can kill two women in this city. Semih Çelik had been harassing İkbal for a year, committing persistent stalking multiple times. He recorded a video saying he was coming to kill İkbal a year ago. Men, what do you think of yourselves? AK Party, do you see what you are doing? Men record videos before killing women, video... İkbal and Ayşenur could have lived their lives freely as they wished. As young women, we encounter those who want to obstruct our decisions about our lives every day. And men; because they see themselves as superior beings, they consider it their right to kill women. Men, stop clinging tightly to male dominance. Give up resisting the idea of equality...

"THEY CAN ATTACK A WOMAN IN BEYOĞLU STREETS"

Actually, we were planning to protest in Beyoğlu today. Unfortunately, we decided to protest here after the murders of İkbal and Ayşenur. Everyone saw the camera recordings from Beyoğlu, right? In the busiest district of Istanbul, two men are harassing a female friend of ours on the streets. Then we learned that the video was not new; those individuals had already been released... After it became a trending topic on social media, they were detained again. And then we learned that they already had records for several offenses, including harassment. And despite this, they are still out. Despite this, they can attack a woman on the streets of Beyoğlu.

Family Minister Mahinur Göktaş made a statement regarding İkbal and Ayşenur. She said, "As a ministry, we will resolutely continue our fight against femicides with a zero tolerance principle." What kind of zero tolerance is this, Ms. Mahinur? Every day, male perpetrators roam the streets. You are not implementing Law No. 6284. You keep saying family, family, family. What kind of zero tolerance is this? These days, the entire society is talking about the state of impunity in the country. You boast about having the largest justice palaces in the world. This society, women need justice palaces, not justice in the true sense of the word... But let no one think that we will be silenced, intimidated, or give up. We will change this male-dominated order. Let history record this protest we held in front of the Edirnekapı Walls. I swear we will stop femicides."

THE PROTEST CONTINUED IN TUNEL

After the protest at Edirnekapı Walls, the horror experienced was protested in Tünel in the evening hours. Women gathered at the call of the 'Women Are Strong Together' platform to criticize the government's stance against the increasing harassment, violence, assault, and femicides in recent days. The police's decision to start closing the roads leading to Istiklal Street and Galata Tower also drew the reaction of women's organizations, chanting "Barricade for killers, not for women."