Can Nude Feminism Succeed in Turkey?
In Turkey, the nude protesters of women's rights group FEMEN face a larger obstacle than male supremacy: They don't quite understand the real issues that strain Turkish politics and society.
Originally founded in Ukraine in 2008 and headquartered in Paris, the international women’s rights group FEMEN has now opened a branch in Turkey. In order to publicize their opposition to what they call men’s “economic, cultural and ideological oppression” of women, FEMEN activists stage nude protests in public and paint slogans on their naked bodies. Furthermore, given its atheism, the group has attacked religious symbols and institutions.
Although FEMEN-Turkey is likely to face immense pressure from Turkish authorities because of the country’s restrictive laws on public morality, popular indifference is likely to be a bigger problem. It is fair to speculate that most women in Turkey will shy away from FEMEN because of its nudity. Conversely, most Turkish men, who have much to learn about women’s rights, are likely to miss the point and will focus on the sight of semi-naked women.
Turkey, of course, is no stranger to FEMEN activism. In 2008, the group held its first demonstration outside the Turkish Embassy in Kiev. The group’s activists, dressed as “sexy nurses,” protested the deluge of Turkish men who visit Ukraine for “sex tourism.” The following year, concerned that the deluge of thousands of male football fans would worsen conditions for women working in Ukraine’s sex industry, the group adopted its signature method of naked protest against the 2012 European football championship in Ukraine.
Since then, FEMEN has held many protests in different European cities, including one in Istanbul in March 2012 on International Women’s Day. The group also posted a short video in solidarity with the Gezi protests that rocked Turkey last summer.
