TÜRKAN SAYLANS OF THE FUTURE?

turkan-saylans-of-the-future Women of Turkish origin in Germany have a low profile in every domain. This leads to their having to struggle in everything they do. They face injustice, oppression, inequality, persistent religious, cultural and sexist traditions.

TÜRKAN SAYLANS OF THE FUTURE?

In February 2020, (Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği-the Supporting Contemporary Life Association) ÇYDD Baden-Württemberg held an understanding and commemorating Türkan Saylan program which brought together author Ayşe Kulin, ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel and around 300 young and old women and men. Could this mean Türkan Saylan is now helping our children in Germany?

Women of Turkish origin in Germany have a low profile in every domain. This leads to their having to struggle in everything they do. They face injustice, oppression, inequality, persistent religious, cultural and sexist traditions. 

On the one hand they fight unemployment, racism, discrimination, language difficulties and adaptation problems and on the other hand they become victims of custom and honor killings and forced marriages.

Briefly, in the middle of Europe in the 21st century, with the crushing reality of being disadvantaged immigrants, Turkish women are battling to establish their identity and survive.

UNEDUCATED AND JOBLESS

Economic Policies Research Foundation of Turkey (Türkiye Ekonomi Politikaları Araştırma Vakfı –TEPAV) researcher Ali Sökmen showed with an evaluation prepared 8 years ago that among immigrant groups in Germany, Turkish women are the least educated and the least working.

ONE OF EVERY TWO TURKISH WOMEN

A member of the executive committee of the protection of women’s rights organization ‘Terres De Femmes’, sociologist and writer Necla Kelek indicates that one of every two Turkish women in Germany, that is half of the Turkish women in the country are in a forced marriage.

MARRIAGE THREAT FOR 3000 FEMALE CHILDREN EACH YEAR

German Ministry of Family released a report in 2018 which shows that approximately 3000 female children are under the threat of a forced marriage.  The Ministry explains that this number indicates only the girls who are able to get to the information centers.  We realise that the numbers obtained are only the tip of an iceberg.

WITH IMMIGRATION WE CARRIED HONOR KILLINGS TO GERMANY

We frequently witness that with immigration we have made custom and honor killings a topic of the agenda of Germany. In German courts, around 12 murder cases with the incentive of protecting ‘honor’ are prosecuted each year.

THE MATERNAL TONGUE DILEMMA

More than 3 million people of Turkish origin live in Germany.  With the ‘brain drain’ from Turkey, the number of Turkish speakers is on the rise.  However, use of Turkish is diminishing.  Turkish journals are not read.  New generations are not interested in TV and radio programs from Istanbul.  Consulate Turkish classes are not attracting people.  Use of Turkish is dying.

IMAMS ARE TAKING CONTROL OF THE TURKISH LESSONS

Turks who don’t use their maternal tongue correctly can’t speak their second language well either.  Language problem creates a big hindrance for education and work opportunities. Despite this deficiency, Turkish language and culture courses are not being taught.  Children are left to their own devices. Religious associations are trying to take over the teaching of Turkish and this puts the community at unease.  The situation is especially difficult for girls. Imams at the Religious Affairs Turkish Islamic Alliance (Diyanet İşleri Türk İslam Birliği-DİTİB) associations are taking it upon themselves to teach Turkish. Until Turkish becomes an elective obligatory foreign language course in the curriculum, it will be losing.

There is much need for research, laws, programs, policies, incentives that will pull out the Turkish women from their sad predicament. We must also remember that action by civil society organizations and solidarity between men and women are very powerful frameworks.

ÇYDD Baden-Württemberg President Ahmet Gül explained that they wish to establish a Türkan Saylan Education Center.  ÇYDD Essen President Sevinç Ekinci promised their cooperation. 

CONTEMPORARY WOMEN AS ROLE MODELS

Will the contemporary women of Turkey as role models be accepted by the Turkish children and youth in Germany, especially when the situation is bleak?

Who would have thought that Türkan Saylan who held the poverty-stricken girls of Anatolia by the hand would be helping Turkish girls in Germany many years later?

Leaders of the ÇYDD Organizations in Germany have already been carrying out various projects to raise young women who speak Turkish and German well, who are contemporary, educated and powerful individuals.

TÜRKAN SAYLAN EDUCATION CENTER

At the ÇYDD Baden-Württemberg Branch understanding and commemorating Türkan Saylan program held in February 2020 author Ayşe Kulin and ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel met with around 300 old and young women and men.

ÇYDD Baden-Württemberg President Ahmet Gül expressed his qualms about religious congregations taking control of the Turkish courses and explained that they wish to establish a Türkan Saylan Education Center.  The first to support Gül’s wish was the ÇYDD President Ayşe Yüksel.  The ÇYDD Essen President Sevinç Ekinci promised their cooperation. 

TO SET AN EXAMPLE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD

Two of Turkey’s contemporary minded women, master of biography Ayşe Kulin and ÇYDD President Prof. Dr. Ayşe Yüksel were in Stuttgart on a weekend.  They injected courage, talked about future projects in Germany and reminded everybody about what they owe to their culture and people.

At the end of the program, we directed our questions to Prof. Yüksel:”Could our children in Germany take Türkan Saylan as their role model?  For them to do this what should be done?”

Saylan’s friend with a common cause for 30 years, Prof. Yüksel had been among the 90 people who were detained 11 years ago with the Ergenekon scheme in Turkey. She took over the torch from Saylan and she was elected the ÇYDD President 8 months ago.  As an enlightened, strong and a forceful women of the Republic of Turkey, she expressed that they value and work for equal opportunity for men and women.

SPECIAL PROJECTS FOR WOMEN

Prof. Yüksel’s answer to our role model question was: “Türkan Saylan defined herself as, ‘I’m a daughter of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s’.  The things she wrote and accomplished can set examples for not only the women in Germany but for the women of the world.  From their earliest years we are making an effort to have the girls internalize the fact that in every aspect of life women and men are equal.  Taking into consideration the suggestions from ÇYDD Germany associations, we want to develop joint projects for children, youth and women living in Germany.”

OUR DAUGHTERS ARE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF CULTS

Ayşe Kulin also answered our questions after the meeting.  Kulin is the author of the biography of Türkan Saylan which gives the best account of her.  She expressed her worries about families being able to teach their maternal tongue to the young ones:

“You must speak Turkish with your children.  On the weekends use the classrooms of the schools in your neighborhood.  Read your children stories and poems in Turkish.  Teach them Turkish history and culture.  Tell them about the reforms of Atatürk.  There are many ways to keep Turkish alive.  There is now a generation that speaks German very well.  If they don’t speak Turkish with their children it will not be easy to preserve the language. It is the obligation of the Turks living in Germany to protect their maternal tongue.

Turkish governments and the public in Turkey, we did not do well by the generations in Germany.  Our children, our daughters fell into the hands of sects and cults.  They can’t go anywhere with the teachings of these cults and superstition. This will be the end of Turkey and the Turkish society.  The alarms are blaring. Whatever religion or race they may belong to, every child must receive a contemporary education.  Other than schools, no institution should take on this duty.”

TÜRKAN SAYLANS OF THE FUTURE?

ÇYDD has provided scholarships and education opportunities to more than 89 thousand girls. Organizations in Germany have been sending support in the form of scholarships also.  The goal is to reach helping a 100 thousand girls. We have been lately observing that girls of Turkish origin in Germany are themselves being noticed finally; girls that have been missing love and attention for the past 60 years. 

It is not easy to bring up the Türkan Saylans of the future in Germany but we know for a fact that we have plenty of republican minded girls ready to bring light to darkness.

IŞIN TOYMAZ – STUTTGART


05.02.2020