Üsküdar University students and academics marched "Against Violence"!

Prof. Nevzat Tarhan stated that "Helplessness, insecurity and injustice increase violence."

Together, students and academics gave an important message to the society: "We will build a life without violence together!"

Üsküdar University students and academic staff held a big march to raise awareness against violence. Approximately 1000 students gathered at the South Campus of the university and marched to the Main Campus with banners in their hands.

President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, who did not leave the students alone, expressed that "There is cruelty against women. There is a normalization of evil. In the background of the normalization of evil is the oppression of the weak by the strong. If injustice increases in a society, children and women are the first to be affected. Desperation, insecurity, and injustice increase violence..."

Stating that there is no Mental Health Law and that psychiatrists are also tied in this regard, Prof. Tarhan expressed that "Addiction policies should also be determined within the Mental Health Law. This violence will increase as the number of drug users increases."

Drawing attention to the importance of protecting human rights, Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör said that "With this march, we would like to remind once again our responsibility to protect the right to life of every individual."

Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak stated that "It may not be possible to find even a single woman among the young girls of this country who has grown up without being oppressed, harassed or exposed to some acts of violence throughout her life. For this reason, it is very important that we tell someone something so that the next generations can live their lives in a peaceful and free way without being harassed in better conditions and more equal conditions."

Üsküdar University students and academic staff held a big march to raise awareness against violence. Approximately 1000 students gathered at the South Campus of the university and marched to the Main Campus with banners in their hands. President of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, as well as high-level academics of the university participated and supported the students. During the march, the surrounding citizens also showed their support with applause.

"It shook all the students, all of us, it made us very angry"

President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan pointed to the violent incidents in the country in recent days and expressed that "It shook all the students, all of us, made us very angry, caused a lot of tension. There are people who lose sleep.”

Pointing to the banners carried by the students such as "For all women whose stories are unfinished" and "Educate your son, not protect your daughter", Prof. Tarhan made the following statements:

"There is a normalization of evil"

"There is cruelty against women. There is a normalization of evil. In the background of the normalization of evil is the oppression of the weak by the strong. If injustice increases in a society, children and women are the first to be affected. Because the strong begin to act according to the law of the jungle. In the law of the jungle, the strong have their say. They tend to act without thinking. If the system allows this, then in that system, the decision-makers in the system should put the system on the table. Some configuration is required from scratch. The perception of impunity in society has now reached the last point. Desperation, insecurity and injustice increase violence. The fact that society is in court with each other, with the state, has increased. The reason for these should be investigated. Looking at the results is a diagnostic error."

"There is a serious diagnostic error in violence against women in Türkiye"

Noting that there is a serious diagnostic error in violence against women in Türkiye, Prof. Tarhan stated that "Law No. 6284 and the Istanbul Convention, these need to be reviewed and rewritten in accordance with the culture of the society. It does not produce solutions, but rather increases the incidents of violence."

Thanking the students for making the correct diagnosis of violent incidents and reacting to the ordinariness of evil, Prof. Tarhan said that "If we remain silent, this evil is now starting to become normal. What needs to be normalized in Türkiye is not silence against evil, not silence against the oppressor, not silence."

"Addiction policies should also be determined within the Mental Health Act"

Stating that the fact that anger is the language of communication causes tension in the society, Prof. Tarhan made the following remarks:

"If there is group stress in companies, visits and patients increase. Currently, half of the 85 million people in Türkiye are on antidepressants. Increasingly, this statistic is increasing. There is no Mental Health Act. Psychiatrists' hands are also tied in this regard. Experts do not know exactly what to do about people with mental health disorders. There are many measures taken by developed countries in this regard. All of these issues need to be put on the table. Rehabilitation centers need to be established. Tertiary protection centers are important. Opportunities for people who are sick and people with substance abuse need to be reviewed.

Addiction-related policies are currently completely dysfunctional. This needs to be put on the table again, restructured. Addiction policies also need to be determined within the Mental Health Act. As the number of people using substances increases, this violence will increase. Violence against women, violence against children... This is called domestic violence in the literature. Domestic violence is also on the rise around the world. We have now started to exceed the standard in the world in this regard."

The problem is obvious, there is violence, it is increasing!"

Noting that the more people express the message of young people and the more there is a demand from the society, the decisions will be restructured, Prof. Tarhan said, "This demand of ours is a well-intentioned demand that produces solutions to reduce the problems. That's why we need to wake up the sleepers. I hope that our messages here will reach their goal and the uncertainty on this issue in Türkiye will be resolved. The problem is obvious, there is violence, it is increasing. What is there as a solution? There is a solution on the basis of individuals, families, societies and administrators."

Reminding that he was invited to the Violence Commission in 2007, Prof. Tarhan said that "A violence commission is being established again, the important thing is not to collect a commission, but to put it into practice, to make a road map and to invest. Let's stop investing in stone and soil, let's invest in people."

Prof. Güngör: "We are here for a very important sensitivity"

Üsküdar University Rector Prof. Nazife Güngör drew attention to the importance of protecting human rights and expressed that "With this march, we would like to remind once again our responsibility to protect the right to life of every individual. Women, babies, teenagers… By joining forces together, we aim for a non-violent society. The right to life is freedom, and we are here to protect that freedom."

Emphasizing the need to increase social sensitivity, Prof. Güngör called on the authorities to take more steps in this regard and said that "We are protesting to live humanely and to protect every person's right to life. From here, we also call out to the authorities. It is the duty of the rulers and authorities to protect the right to life of each of us. Therefore, we always have to show sensitivity together for the solution of this problem. None of us will walk alone. Especially women and babies, we are all together, we will be strong together."

Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak: "I know you are very angry, we are all angry"

Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak, addressing the young people gathered in the garden of the faculty, stated that "As Üsküdar University FHSS, first of all, I would like to express that I am proud of all of you. It is very important for all of us that you, young people, have taken such an action that can affect not only your own lives, but also the lives of others, and that it is being done under very peaceful, academic and loving conditions. I know you're very angry, we are all angry because I am a mother myself, and I grew up as a teenage girl. Among the young girls of this country, it may not be possible to find a single woman who has grown up without being oppressed, harassed and subjected to some acts of violence throughout her life. For this reason, it is very important that we tell someone something so that the next generations can live their lives in a peaceful and free way without being harassed in better conditions and more equal conditions."

"Universities have always played the role of locomotives in such matters"

Explaining that university students all over the world set up tents to protest one of the most serious genocides in history, that they experienced solidarity with the Palestinian people, and that rectors resigned just because they valued this struggle, Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak continued her remarks as follows:

"Universities have always played the role of locomotives in such matters, universities have such a feature. Undoubtedly, you will make your voice heard, you will write, you will draw, and we will support you. However, let me tell you that the reason for this anger in all of us is not just an isolated incident, we know it. There are many things that have accumulated on top of each other, there is Narin, there is a culture of impunity, there is the fact that we have lost our daughters, there is the disappearance of 10 thousand children a year, there is the fact that we have come to the top of the rankings in the world in honor killings. As women and men, we have unfortunately created a culture where the strong can easily crush the weak. The main issue is not only about women, and children are also persecuted. Weak men are also persecuted, and those in the marginalized category are oppressed. There is oppression in this country, in this culture, against everyone who is powerless."

"The culture of impunity is injustice itself"

Stating that the culture of impunity is injustice itself, Prof. Deniz Ülke Kaynak said that "There is nothing more angry than injustice and not being on equal terms. I know that the issue is not only femicides or unsettling losses, pressures and harassment on you. So, I thank all of you for making your protest in a nice and calm way. From now on, as the entire academic staff of Üsküdar University, all our faculty members are with you. We will always be with you, and we will give you the support we can. I wish you all a free, loving and peaceful world."

Students: We say 'Enough is Enough'!

Helin Hayat Odabaş, a 3rd year student at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, stated that women and young people demand the right to a safe life and expressed that "Women, children and young people in Türkiye do not feel safe. We say, 'Enough is Enough'! Women and the whole society want a life free of violence and we want our demands to be taken into account."

Demands for a non-violent society

University students expressed their demands for the protection of women's rights and demanded that the fight against violence against women be carried out effectively and concrete steps should be taken. Among the demands were the implementation of the Law No. 6284 on Combating Violence Against Women, the opening of a 24/7 free ALOŞİDDET hotline, the establishment of crisis centers for combating sexual violence, and providing free support to victims of violence. The students emphasized that these demands are a necessity for the establishment of social peace and tranquility.

In this meaningful event organized by Üsküdar University against violence, students and academics gave an important message to the society: "We will build a life without violence together!"

 

 

Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)