Piroz Zırığ/ JINHA

DİLOK - 75-year-old Fatma Polat was forced to marry when she was a child. She was subjected to systematic violence by her husband and her husband's family. Fatma went to other cities to work for her children and she was subjected to psychological violence and discrimination for speaking Kurdish in these cities.

Women are forced to marry when they are children and they are subjected to violence… The struggle for life of women continues in every field. 75-year-old Fatma Polat, who has continued her struggle for life under difficult conditions, was forced to marry with a bigamist man when she was 13 years old. Fatma said that she was subjected to violence by her husband. Fatma said, "I was forced to marry when I was 13 years old. He was older than me; however, still I don't know how old he was. He had married two times before me. He married me because he couldn't have a baby. My parent died after my marriage. The torture period began for me when my parent died. I did the housework, I went to field. He beat me and he threw me out from home. I didn't have any place to go. I waited outside until he calmed down. His brothers also beat me. The oldest wife of my husband looked after my children. She didn't have a child. I had to work in the field everyday. I didn't take my chidren on my lap. I have three sons and two daughters."

When her husband died, the struggle for life of Fatma became more difficult. Fatm said, "I had to work for my children and I decided to go to other cities in order to work and look after my children. I worked in Ordu, Samsun, İzmir, Yozgat and Harran. I worked in different fields in these cities and I looked after my children without demanding any help from people."

Fatma said that they were attacked in these cities. Fatma said, "When a police or soldier died, they attacked us. Once, a soldier died and they attacked us with sticks, chopping knife and shovel. They would kill us. We fled from them. We were afraid of speaking in Kurdish in these cities. I don't know speak Turkish. They did not let me talk for years. They said "Who do not speak Turkish, cannot talk."

Fatma is continuing the struggle for life alone in one room.

(pz/sy/gd)