This chapter focuses on cisheteropatriarchal conceptions of “honour”, “morality”, and “decency” as a means to comprehend the historically evolving dominant discourses surrounding sexual morality and its correlation with feminist mobilisation in Turkey. The prevailing discourse on sexual morality has played a pivotal role in feminist campaigns and resistance for over a century, as it has been crucial in structuring social order and hierarchy, wherein cis-hetero-reproductive-marital sexuality was established as permissible, while non-marital active female and queer sexualities were consistently stigmatised and punished. Throughout Turkey’s evolving historical trajectory, the enduring struggle of women against the socio-cultural valorisation of honour has significantly shaped the intricate bond between feminism and sexuality. Despite the enduring perpetuation of sexual violence against women, queers, and trans individuals through the discourse of honour, I posit that this language was more prevalent in both popular and political discourses up until the 2010s, subsequently transitioning towards a discourse emphasising “common morals” or “decency” (genel ahlak), particularly with the burgeoning of queer and trans movements in Turkey. This paper aims to scrutinise this specific discursive shift through an examination of two significant feminist campaigns: “No to 438!” in 1990 and “The Istanbul Convention Saves Lives”, an ongoing political campaign since 2021.

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Feminist Approaches to Sexual Morality in Turkey

  • Aslı Zengin

摘要

This chapter focuses on cisheteropatriarchal conceptions of “honour”, “morality”, and “decency” as a means to comprehend the historically evolving dominant discourses surrounding sexual morality and its correlation with feminist mobilisation in Turkey. The prevailing discourse on sexual morality has played a pivotal role in feminist campaigns and resistance for over a century, as it has been crucial in structuring social order and hierarchy, wherein cis-hetero-reproductive-marital sexuality was established as permissible, while non-marital active female and queer sexualities were consistently stigmatised and punished. Throughout Turkey’s evolving historical trajectory, the enduring struggle of women against the socio-cultural valorisation of honour has significantly shaped the intricate bond between feminism and sexuality. Despite the enduring perpetuation of sexual violence against women, queers, and trans individuals through the discourse of honour, I posit that this language was more prevalent in both popular and political discourses up until the 2010s, subsequently transitioning towards a discourse emphasising “common morals” or “decency” (genel ahlak), particularly with the burgeoning of queer and trans movements in Turkey. This paper aims to scrutinise this specific discursive shift through an examination of two significant feminist campaigns: “No to 438!” in 1990 and “The Istanbul Convention Saves Lives”, an ongoing political campaign since 2021.