KADEM REMINDS OF ‘PERSUASION ROOMS’ THIS TIME WITH THE FEBRUARY 28 CAMPAIGN
27 years have passed since February 28, which is one of the dark stains in Turkish political history and is referred to as the ‘post-modern coup.’ The Women and Democracy Foundation (KADEM) has prepared an awareness campaign on the anniversary of February 28, taking inspiration from the persuasion rooms established in universities during that period to convince veiled students to uncover their heads. In the animation film of the campaign, narrated from the perspective of young girls, the outdated practice is depicted with the motto ‘we were convinced! but convinced of what,’ providing a different perspective on the actors of that period and the absurdity they presented.
In the film caricaturing the February 28 mentality, the young girl in the persuasion room is subjected to suggestions such as ‘You cannot enter school like this!,’ ‘You are more beautiful without a headscarf!,’ ‘You must uncover your head!,’ ‘Your headscarf is an obstacle to your success!,’ ‘You cannot succeed without removing your headscarf!,’ etc. The voices in the animated film belong to real actors of that period such as Nur Serter, Kemal Alemdaroğlu, Kemal Gürüz. At the end of the suggestions, the young girl, tired and overwhelmed, mocks the situation by saying, “The person inside is both angry and a bit complex, and convinced me only that I am right,” as she exits the persuasion room. In the continuation of the video, as headscarf-wearing individuals during this process, after the statement ‘We were convinced to live as we believe, to be stronger together, and to stand up for our freedom,’ the audience is asked, ‘So, what were you convinced of?’
The campaign aims to draw attention to the post-modern coup period of February 28, which inflicted deep wounds on people’s lives, particularly targeting the religious community with prohibitive practices. These practices led to individuals being separated from their schools, jobs, and academic lives. They were judged, even penalized, ultimately leaving traumatic effects on society, all through the bans on headscarves.
With the support of news outlets, the campaign video with the motto ‘We were convinced!’ will be shared on social media, and a trending topic (TT) campaign will be conducted. Simultaneously, the video will be featured on news websites supporting the campaign.
