Bêrîtan Elyakut/JINHA

AMED – Saying that the killing of ÖzgecanAslandisplayed the need for women's self-defense in the face of male violence, young women of Diyarbakir'sYDG-K (Patriotic Revolutionary Young Women)have founded the Arîn Mîrxan Women's Defense Teams to realize the principle of self-defense and right to life for women.

In Turkey,men kill around five women per day. Just across the border in Rojava, however, YPJ fighters (including martyred Kobanê fighter Arîn Mîrxan, for whom the group is named) have shown the potential of women's self-defense. Teams are forming contact networks to reach women in the neighborhoods of Diyarbakir, says Yekbun, a member of one of the new teams.

"We will call men to account for all forms of violence against women," including harassment, rape and killings, Yekbun said. "If you approach a woman like that, you'll find yourself facing the women's teams, without knowing where we came from. We're not responsible for what happens to you, because legitimate defense is a basic human right."