Some of the prominent nationwide voluntary asso-
ciations established by these groups are Ayrımcılı©a
Karçı Kadın Derne©i (Women’s Association for
struggling against discrimination), ÇagdaçYaçamı
Destekleme Derne©i (Association for the support of
contemporary life), and Kadın Adayları Destek-
leme ve E©itme Derne©i (KADER, Association for
the support and training of female candidates for
parliament).
In addition to these voluntary organizations
there are two important official national associa-
tions. The first one is Baçbakanlık Aile Araçtırma
Kurumu (Prime ministry family research insti-
tution), established in 1989. The basic aim of this
organization is to protect the family and any value
associated with the family. The integration of dif-
ferent generations in the family, the protection of
family as an institution, and the protection of the
rights of family members figures prominently in the
work of this organization. It sees women as mem-
bers of the family and deals with their problems
within that perspective. Beyond women’s problems,
the organization addresses the issue of how the
Turkish family can be strengthened. This is the rea-
son why this association has been strongly criti-
cized by feminist groups.
turkey 791The second official national women’s organiza-
tion is Baçbakanlık Kadının Statüsü ve Sorunları
Genel Müdürlü©ü (Prime ministry directorate for
women’s problems and status), established in 1990.
Its aim is substantially different from the previous
one; it has cooperated with other women’s organi-
zations to solve women’s problems. It mainly
searches for grounds to obtain equality of opportu-
nity for women and many feminist women have
participated in its projects. It has struggled par-
ticularly against Turkish laws which discriminate
against women, and demands that women and
politicians work to eliminate such norms.Bibliography
Y. Arat, The patriarchal paradox. Women politicians in
Turkey, London 1989.
Ö. Çaha, Sivil kadın. Türkiye’ de sivil toplum ve kadın,
Ankara 1995.
S. Çakır, Osmanlı kadın hareketi, Istanbul 1996.
N. Göle, Modern mahrem. Medeniyet ve örtünme, Istan-
bul 1992, translated as The forbidden modern. Civili-
zation and veiling, Ann Arbor 1996.
Ç. Kurnaz, Cumhuriyet öncesinde Türk kadını 839–1923,
Ankara 1991.
T. Taçkıran, Cumhuriyetin ellinci yılında Türk kadın hak-
ları, Ankara1973.
Ç. Tekeli (ed.), Kadın bakıçaçısından 1980’ler Türkiye’-
sinde kadın, Istanbul 1990.Ömer Çaha