The photo exhibition “Turkey’s Women Pioneers,” organized by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Ankara, was opened at the Galerim Art Gallery located in Armada Shopping Mall. The exhibition, inaugurated by Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and the Dutch Ambassador to Ankara Joep Wijnands, tells the stories of Turkish women migrants who went to the Netherlands to work in the 1960s, along with their daughters and granddaughters.
Haşim KILIÇ
THE photo exhibition “Turkey’s Women Pioneers,” organized to mark the 60th anniversary of the Labor Agreement between Turkey and the Netherlands, was opened at the Galerim Art Gallery. The opening ceremony was conducted by the Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş and the Dutch Ambassador to Ankara Joep Wijnands. Among the attendees was Ali Naili Erdem, who served as Minister of Labor in 1965. Speaking at the opening, Minister Göktaş explained that in the 1960s, labor migration began to countries like Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, and at that time, people courageously migrated from various parts of Anatolia to these countries.
THEY LEFT WITH THE INTENTION OF RETURNING TO THEIR COUNTRY
Speaking about the exhibition, Minister Göktaş said: “Those who migrated left with a suitcase in hand, thinking, ‘I’ll buy a field, I’ll buy a house, and then return to my country.’ My own story also started during this period. My grandfather, under similar conditions, left Afyon’s Emirdağ district and migrated to Belgium for a few years. The stories of the first Turkish women who migrated to the Netherlands, their daughters, and their granddaughters are very precious to me. Every portrait of a woman is, in fact, a reflection and indicator of courage, determination, and sacrifice.”
THEY MADE GREAT SACRIFICES
“When we talk about migration stories, it is usually portrayed through men. However, among those who participated in and initiated labor migration, there was a significant number of women workers. There were also women who migrated alone, as well as those who went as wives. Each of them made great sacrifices when they arrived. Sometimes they worked in mines, sometimes they endured long hours of intensive shifts at night. In their daily lives, women had to put in great effort to adapt, whether by helping their children with school adaptation issues or by learning the language and culture of their new home.”
REPRESENTS A TURNING POINT
Dutch Ambassador Joep Wijnands remarked that the exhibition tells the stories of Turkish women living in the Netherlands across three generations. He noted that on August 19, 1964, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Republic of Turkey signed an agreement inviting Turkish citizens to work in the Netherlands. “This year marks the 60th anniversary of that agreement. It also represents a turning point in Turkey-Netherlands relations,” Wijnands said.
WE WANT TO HONOR WOMEN
Wijnands highlighted that in 1960, there were only 200 Turkish citizens living in the Netherlands, whereas today that number is nearing half a million. “With the ‘Turkey’s Women Pioneers’ exhibition, we want to honor women,” he expressed, adding, “We brought this exhibition from the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands to Turkey, and so far, we have had the opportunity to display it in various cities and districts in Turkey, including Bursa, Yozgat, Istanbul, and Emirdağ.”
A PROMISE OF EQUALITY
Wijnands referred to the first women who migrated to the Netherlands as ‘pioneers,’ saying, “These brave women embarked on a journey to a country they didn’t know, often making great sacrifices to support their families.” Wijnands also emphasized that his country supports women worldwide in achieving equal standing, noting that this exhibition aligns with the Netherlands’ stance on the matter.
The “Turkey’s Women Pioneers” exhibition, featuring the stories of women alongside photographs, will be open for visitors at the Galerim Art Gallery in Armada Shopping Mall until October 17.
