NGO Support

Letter of Support from Turkey

May 22, 2001

General Prosecutor
Maher Abdel Wahab

Minister of Justice,
Counselor Farouk Seif El Nasr
Ministry of Justice, Lazoughly Square,
Cairo, Arab Republic of Egypt

Your Excellencies:

We, the undersigned (83 individuals) are writing to protest the attempt to annul the marriage of Nawal Elsaadawi and Sherif Hetata on the grounds that the views expressed by Dr. Nawal Elsaadawi, medical doctor, writer and active defender of the rights of women place her outside the boundaries of Islam.

We are deeply concerned that such a measure can only produce an extremely negative image of Egypt and the Arab and Islamic world. This intended legal action against Dr. Elsaadawi and her husband, Sherif Hetata will be considered to be a basic infringement of human rights, and political and religious freedoms.

We ask you to do all that is within your power to be certain that justice and intellectual freedom prevail in Egypt.

Sincerely,

Gonul Saray, Member of Parliament for Amasya
Funda Duman, Ministry of Housing and Public Works, Town Planning Specialist
and MA student, Women Studies, University of Ankara, Ankara,
Hulya Gulbahar, Lawyer, Istanbul, Turkey
Meryem Turan, Lawyer, Turkey
Huriye Karabacak, Lawyer, Turkey
Zubeyde Copur, Publisher, Turkey
Eda Kilic, Student, Turkey
Aysegul Kaya, Lawyer, Turkey
Sati Atakul, Student of Women Studies, Ankara
Begum Yavuz, Union of Turkish Women, Head of Adalar Branch, Istanbul,
Turkey
Neriman Erduman, Honorary President, Union of Turkish Women
Tomris Acan, Union of Turkish Women, lawyer
Serife Ozdemir: Union of Turkish Women, lawyer
Ilgun Vural: Union of Turkish Women, lawyer
Necla Kuban: Union of Turkish Women
Memduha Kuban: Union of Turkish Women
Behiye Kaplan: Union of Turkish Women
Guler Sariabdullahoglu: Union of Turkish Women
Seckin Seven: Union of Turkish Women, Adalar Branch, Istanbul, Turkey
Nevin Turkmen: Union of Turkish Women, Adalar Branch, Istanbul, Turkey
Dr. Tugyan Aytaç-Dural, METU Faculty of Architecture, Ankara, Turkey
Bekir Dural, Industrial Engineer, Turkey
Cansin Erol, Writer, Poet, Turkey
Zelal Ayman, Translator, Istanbul, Turkey
Prof. Dr. Nesrin Seyhan, Gazi University, Faculty of Medicine, Ankara,
Turkey
Gulriz Ozyildirim, Istanbul, Turkey
Melek zman, Ist. Turkey
Oya Coskun, Ist. Turkey
Ozgul Kapdan, Turkey
Halide Dündar, Ist Turkey
Ozgur Sevgi Goral, Ist. Turkey
Nilgun Yurdalan, Turkey
Canan Tanrikulu, Turkey
Necla Tanrikulu, Turkey
Songul Tanrikulu, Turkey
Silva Bingaz, Turkey
Mehmet Cabuk,Turkey
Oya Talat, Chemist; President, Union of Patriot Women, Girne, North Cyprus
Ayegul Kanat,Turkey
Suat oban,Turkey
Gulsum Cakir,Turkey
Mefharet Erdogmus,Turkey
Nur Gursu,Turkey
Mu?erref Yigit,Turkey
Zeliha ?elikkol,Turkey
Nurhayat Uzundere,Turkey
Gamze Goker,Turkey
Reyhan Kaplan,Turkey
Nursel Demir,Turkey
Gaye Erbatur Cukurova University, Adana, Turkey
Refia Yildirim, Turkey
Tuba Dundar, Turkey
Gulseren Agridag, Turkey
Nazan Alparslan, Turkey
Narinc Ataman, Turkey
Nuran Bayer, Turkey
Prof.Nesrin Seyhan, Turkey
Dr.Turunc Sendol, Turkey
Dr.Sefika Ataman, Turkey
Dr.Meral Ozer, Turkey
Guner Arasli, Lawyer, Turkey
Nazan Ozdemir, Turkey
Demet Kayiran, Turkey
Azer Arasli, Turkey
Sayra Melek, Lawyer, Turkey
Neslihan Goktas, Turkey
Gamze Goktas, Turkey
Lale Baturalp, Turkey
Guzide Orhan, Turkey
Serife Umut, Turkey
Sevgi U. Yoney, Turkey
Meltem Agduk Gevrek, Turkey
Oya Eksen, Turkey
Nilufer Narli, Turkey
Aysegul Kanat, Turkey
Nazik Isik, Turkey
Gulriz Ozyildirim, Turkey
Hamiyet Celebi, Lawyer, Turkey
Ozgul Firlangec, Lawyer, Turkey
Aysen Erdogan, Lawyer, Turkey
Birgul Degirmenci, Lawyer, Turkey
Senay Tavuz, Lawyer, Turkey
Aytul Arikan, Lawyer, Turkey
Sefika Kamcez, Istanbul, Turkey