Around 200 Detained After Women’s Day March in Istanbul, Say Organisers

ISTANBUL, March 9, 2025 (BSS/AFP) – Police detained approximately 200 demonstrators in Istanbul late on Saturday following a peaceful march of over 3,000 women through the city centre, held to mark International Women’s Day, organisers reported.

For several years, protests have been banned in the city’s central Taksim Square, which is typically enclosed with barriers. However, in recent years, authorities have permitted rallies in nearby areas, albeit under heavy security.

The Feminist Night March began at sunset near Taksim Square, with many participants dressed in purple and waving banners featuring slogans such as “We won’t be silenced, we’re not afraid and we won’t obey” and “Long live our feminist struggle.”

Although the march concluded peacefully, organisers reported that police began detaining protesters after the crowd dispersed, with footage showing officers forcefully removing several demonstrators from the group.

“After the #FeministNightMarch finished and the crowd dispersed without incident, the police started to detain our friends in an act of provocation,” the organisers wrote on X.

“Nearly 200 women were unjustly detained on March 8!” they added.

No immediate comment has been provided by the authorities.

Earlier, several hundred individuals had gathered for a protest in the Kadikoy district on the Asian side of the city, where they also waved banners and marched through the streets.

“We demand an end to violence against women, the ratification of the Istanbul Convention against femicide, and social policies that do not place the burden of care on women. We continue our March 8 struggle for democracy, equality, peace, and fraternity,” said Arzu Cerkezoglu, chairwoman of the DISK trade union.

Cerkezoglu was referring to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s 2021 decision to withdraw Turkey from the Istanbul Convention, which compels signatories to implement laws designed to prevent and prosecute violence against women.

Turkey does not keep official records on femicides, leaving that responsibility to women’s organisations that compile data on murders and other suspicious deaths through press reports. According to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, at least 1,318 women have been killed by men since Turkey’s withdrawal from the convention in March 2021.

Supplementary Information:
The Istanbul Convention, which was signed by Turkey in 2011, was intended to prevent and combat violence against women, including femicide, domestic violence, and sexual violence. Its withdrawal has sparked ongoing protests in the country, with many women’s rights organisations calling for the re-adoption of the convention as part of their fight for greater protection against gender-based violence.