May 2020 Report*

21 Femicide, 18 Suspicious Women Death in May

We are going through an extraordinary period in all the world and Turkey with the new coronavirus. People are taking precautions against extraordinary conditions in many parts of the world. Although everybody should stay home during this period, these conditions caused difficulties for women. While coronavirus has not finalized, we are entering a new stage in which precautions are softened.

It was not detected why 17 women were killed.

This month 21 femicides occurred and 18 women were found suspiciously dead. Among 21 women, it was not detected why 17 of them were killed. 3 of them were killed for economic reasons, 1 one of them was killed while she was trying to make decision for her own life. The fact that why and by which excuse 17 women were killed is a result of making violence against women and femicide invisible. Unless it is determined by whom and why women are killed; unless fair trials are made and suspects, defendants and murderers receive dissuasive punishments and unless preventive measures are implemented, violence continues with changing dimensions.

Femicide data of Turkey in May according to provinces:

We would like to share with you the names of our sisters, whom are each a life:

Who were the women killed by?

It was not found who killed 2 out of 21 women who were killed in May. 8 of them were killed by the men who they are married to, 2 of them were killed by the men they had a relationship with, 3 of them were killed by their acquaintance, 3 of them by their relatives, 1 of them by their son, 2 of them by someone they did not know.

Women were mostly killed in their homes and in the middle of the street.

10 of the women were killed in their homes, 7 of the women were killed in the middle of the street and 1 of the women in a car and 1 of the women were killed in a land. It was not found where 2 women were killed. In comparison to previous months, the rate of women who were killed in the streets increased. 48% of women were killed in their homes and 33% of women were killed in the streets among all women who were killed.

Women were killed mostly by firearms

11 of them were killed by firearms, 7 by sharp objects, it was not detected how 3 women were killed.

The employment situation of women is still not detectable.

It is difficult to determine the working situation of women. We think that this important data should be taken into consideration by the press members. According to the data released by TURKSTAT this month, the number of women 'busy with housework' has increased to 95 thousand compared to the previous year. Thus, according to TURKSTAT, the number of women who were not even considered as labour force increased to 11 million 222 thousand in February 2020. TURKSTAT's explanation of the data in this way is to try to cover the true aspect of women's unemployment. We know that women who are not included to the working life or dismissed from employment are becoming more vulnerable to the threats of gender-based discrimination, violence and femicide in the society. According to the available data, 2 of women work in a working place and the employment status of 18 women is unknown.

Femicides are committed in different regions and provinces. Women want cities where they are not murdered.

5 women were killed only in one week

While Ministry of the Interior explains that femicides are decreasing, 5 women were killed in one week. While everyone preparing for celebrating the Bairam, Zeynep Şenpınar was killed in her home because she wanted to make decision for her own life. We learned that Zeynep was subjected to violence and made a complaint about Ahmet Kemaloğlu even before.

According to the Circular Order of Emine Bulut, if a woman is at risk of life, without the necessity of complaint, police must protect her. Centers for the Prevention and Monitoring of the Violence must follow the process after the complaint. The ones who are not implementing Istanbul Convention and Protection Law numbered 6284 are responsible for the death of Zeynep Şenpınar.

22-year-old Gülnur Kocabaş was shot to death in the middle of the street by the man she had a relationship with when she went out of home to go to work. Rukiye Cerman and Selma Tetik were killed by the men she married to. Nurcan Polat was killed by unknown people who entered her home.

According to the data of this month, 7 female friends of us who are between 15-35 years, were killed. Young women, while they are trying to make decision for their own lives are killed for their own rights. They fight for their rights and for standing on their own feet. They are not remained silent against violence and inequality. The fight of ending femicide get stronger with the young women.

All women were not remained silent to the femicide even during corona days. They shared messages through social media to end femicide. University Women’s Assemblies made a statement to the press with a protestation. Women in Adana, İzmir, Manisa, Kütahya protested against the women who were killed during corona days.

Women are in a position to postpone their rights in corona days

So far, in femicide data, women mostly killed when they want to make decisions about their lives such as divorce, break up or working. According to our Report of Received Applications in April 2020 published this month, there was a 55% increase in the number of people who asked for help by calling our application line. In the application of people who witnessed violence against women increased by 60%. In addition to the applications we received mostly due to physical violence, applicants increased due to digital violence. Also appeared in the Applications Report, we are facing postponement of their rights such as divorce, break up or complaint in corona days. Women have difficulty when they need and want to reach 155 and 183 hotlines. Difficulties that women faced should force government to take more measures, women should not abandon desperate.

Suspicious female deaths increase

An important detail that we would like to underline is the increasingly suspicious female deaths. As we have explained in our reports for a while, there is a serious increase in the number of suspicious women deaths presented as suicide or natural death and the number of women found suspensefully dead. Suspicious women death, unfortunately, can be even more challenging than femicide. It is necessary to reveal whether women are killed, whether they are actually killed by accident, whether they commit suicide or whether they are dragged into suicide.

This month, Figen Yakışır, the mother of 2 children, 23-year-old living in Diyarbakır, was found suspiciously dead at home by shot with a gun. According to our received information, Figen is claimed to have been killed by the man she is married to, who released from prison with regulations of repentance law. We learned that the village residents were hiding the incident because they were afraid. We call upon the authorized institutions in Diyarbakır to enlighten the suspicious death of Figen.

30-year-old Mehtap G., who lives in Istanbul, according to the statements of eyewitnesses, fell down in flames from the 6^th floor of the apartment. Investigation in suspicious death of Mehtep G.’s continues.

41-year-old G.E. found dead in the tandem of her house with a firearm. We could not remain regardless to the news saying that this death was suicide. If there is any doubt about the death of G.E., you can contact us with the application line.

Suspicious deaths of 18 women we learned in May should be clarified as soon as possible. What to do is clear; protection law no. 6284 and the Istanbul Convention should be implemented effectively and fully with all institutions and organizations. Investigations of suspicious female deaths should be carefully examined and concluded quickly.

Reports of Ministry of Interior and Police Academy contradict, manipulation continues

The Ministry of Interior, one of the ministries that have not announced any package of measures against violence since the beginning of the pandemic process, said in a statement it made at the beginning of May that violence against women decreased by 36% compared to the first 4 months of 2019. They said there was an 11% decrease in the number of incidents between 11 March and 1 May, when coronavirus measures began, compared with dates of 19 January – 10 March. While we are under the threat of coronavirus outside and violence inside, the Ministry of Interior also makes a statement about the violence against women and the femicide are decreasing, this statement is the attempt to make women’s struggle invisible for the implementation of the protection law no. 6284 and the Istanbul Convention.

The Police Academy released a report last week and said, “there has been an increase in domestic violence cases all over the world.” Right after that the Ministry of Interior published another report, claimed that although the increase in domestic violence against women all over the world, the decrease seen in Turkey. They said, “between 11 March and 20 May, 42 thousand 693 women experienced violence” in the published report. However, both the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services did not explain which measures they took to prevent violence against women in pandemic days. Also, there was no explanation to violence against 42 thousand 693 women about whether the protection and investigation procedures were being carried out effectively.

In the same report, asserted that 33 women were passed away between 11 March and 20 May. However, the information we can reach with our own efforts we found that at least 52 of our sisters were killed between 11 March and 20 May. We would like to learn about the concept of “femicide” of the Ministry of Interior, which femicide are not included in the data they announced. Manipulating data is making femicide invisible.

You cannot legitimize abuse of children!

The issue of forced-early marriage again went forward with efforts to legitimize the abuse of children in this month. According to the data coming from TÜİK, 704.831 children were abused by forcing into the marriage between 2002-2019.

Prof. Dr. Muttalip Kutluk Özgüven from Istanbul Aydın University said in a TV program releasing on Akit TV that a woman at the age between 12-17 was a super-woman and these ages were optimum ages to give birth. Upon the reactions on social media, he was dismissed by being indicted by the university he worked in. Fatih Erbakan, the chairperson of Yeniden Refah Party, said in another TV program that anyone who 15-year-old gave consent to sexual intercourse because of growing to sexual maturity. The Encylopedia of Islam published by Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı (Religious Foundation of Turkey) in 2019 supported the hostile attitude against women and children by containing the information that the marriage with the grandchild-in-law is halal. Everyone who is under 18 is a child. These expressions toward legitimizing the abuse of children are crime. While it is predicted that the children who stay at home during the corona days will be more vulnerable to the danger of abuse, while policies towards the prevention of abuse of children should be developed, we are not accepting these hostile statements about children.

Germany has prepared a detailed report about the abuse of children. According to this report, the number of sex crimes aggrieving children was 14.606 in 2018 and 15.936 in 2019. It conspicuously takes place in the report that staying at home in pandemic days takes the lead in crime and causes to increase in cases of abuse of children.

6284 and its Consequences

Act no. 6284 -which regulates the measures like suspension order against ones committing violence, protection order for ones being exposed to violence, helping women to get ahead, giving them a right to change their identification, and which was entered into force as a result of the running battle of woman organizations- protects women if it is implemented effectively.

While it is not known whether 20% of women murdered in May were under a protection order, or not, it is known that only 1 woman has not protection or suspension order.

Hasibe Kazancı, 76-year-old living in Çorum, was exposed to violence and thrown out of the house by the man she is married to, Ünal K., in corona days. She was settled in a nursing home. An investigation launched about Ünal K.

Ç.D., 34-year-old living in Kütahya, was subjected to violence by the man she is married to, H.D.D. get suspension order. 5 blank firing guns, steel shot firing guns, blank firing bullets, steel shot bullets, 700 gun-bullets, knife, and chopper, which were said “personal belongings” by H.H.D. were found in the bag which he came by his home to get it.

D.G., who lives in Adana and left home 2 months ago, was stabbed in front of her 2 children, in the back by Hüseyin G., the man she seeks to divorce, D.G.’s health condition is still critical, perpetrator Hüseyin G. got arrested.

While A.Y., 37-year-old living in Niğde, was parking her car in front of her house, she was got injured with a pump rifle by the man she had a relationship with a while ago. The perpetrator was taken into custody.

Ceylan Yıldırım -who is 25 years old, has 2 children, and lives in İstanbul- was exposed to torture for 8 hours by the man she seeks to divorce and his 3 brothers, and she was found critically wounded by the police force in a house in Beykoz. Ersin Y., the man she seeks to divorce, and his brother Burhan Y.  got arrested and they were put in prison, his other brothers who tortured were released.

Özge T.G., 23-year-old living in Bilecik, was wounded with a firearm by Tamer G. who was in the process of divorce and released from the open prison under the coronavirus measures. Tamer G. came to the crime scene and ran away with a rented vehicle. A letter written by the perpetrator to the prosecutor and saying, "Your prosecutor, I have done this because my wife cheated me." emerged. The perpetrator who had previously been in prison for the offense of armed threat has not been caught yet.

Sibel Bekar, who sued for a divorce due to being exposed to violence in the last 2 years of her 17 year-old-marriage, is being threatened with death by Miktat Bekar. Despite Sibel made herself be put under protection heaps of times against the man she seeks to divorce, her house was invaded by Miktat Bekar and she was battered by him. Sibel, who could not get any results from divorce and suspension cases, was answered by the prosecutor she consulted, "Am I the one who will protect you? Go to the press, make your voice heard".

Selma Y. living in Denizli had been wounded with a sharp object by Ünal Y., the man in the process of divorce 6 months ago. Ünal Y., who got arrested after this attack, murdered his son Şahin Y., who gave evidence against him, with a firearm as soon as he was released from prison. Ünal Y. has not been caught yet.

What happened about woman in May?

All  developments:

Paid Vacation For Workers, 6284 For Women Save Life

In this year, we meet  May 1st Labor Day in under extraordinary conditions and at home. Being at home could not stop us from shouting for our freedoms, our rights and our demands with our organized struggle all around Turkey and also from abroad. Women from all over Turkey shared their videos on social media with the slogan of “Paid Vacation For Workers, 6284 For Women Save Life” via the hashtag of #WomeninMay1stwithCorona. Strong voices from all provinces almost created May 1 cortege on social media.

Women who fight gain their rights

Positive developments continue to occur with our fight during pandemic. Olcay Senem was almost exiled because she explained and made a complaint about the harrasment in Kars Ministry of Culture and Tourism. As a result of our meetings and fights, we received good news from Olcay after returning to her previous work in Kars Ministry of Culture and Tourism in March. Director of Kars Ministry of Culture and Tourism Province was taken from directorship and was assigned to any other city as an expert officer. She was appointed to an another city as an expert officer was taking from Kars Ministry Of Culture And Tourism.

A woman applied to court because her child is having problems because of the difference in surname. Supreme court made “a historical decision”. According to the decision, a woman  who divorced from her spouse will be able to change the surname of the child if she has the custody of the child. This change in supreme court is judged as the benefit of the child.

Developments in Other Countries

Two women aged 16 and 18 living in Pakistan, were killed by their fathers and brothers with the excuse that they have their videos on social media.

Iranian 13-year-old Romina Eşrefi, was killed by her father by cutting her head while she was sleeping, with the excuse that she ran away from home.

In Sudan, the practice of female genital mutilation was banned. According to the new amendment of the legislation, imprisonment up to 3 years is foreseen for the  people who commit the crime.

USA Women’s National Team players, brought a lawsuit to USA Football Federation by request of equal payment with men national team players last year. The lawsuit was rejected by the court.

A woman living in USA was exposed to sexual assault. In the court, the judge of New Jersey John Russo JR., asked “Did you close your legs to prevent the assault?” and he was dismissed.

The work of Metin Çakır who is a medical doctor in Germany in the hospital was terminated because he shared a homofobic content in social media which is against gender equality.

In Costa Rica, the marriage of homosexuals was legalized and Costa Rica became the first Central America country which legalize homosexual marriages.

Misogynist discourses and implementations continue:

We are seeing the results of misogynist and child hater policies with their reflections to universities. Orhan Acar who is the Dean of Gazi University, said “keep it low, we see pictures of girls” when he supposed that his camera and microphone was off during an online education. Gazi University launched official investigation. Orhan Acar resigned from his job. Women studying at university will continue to the fight in their universities, in streets, in everywhere against gender equality, violence, feminicide, abuse.

IBB Esenler Municipality Council Member on the AKP side Hamdullah Arvas made a sexist and misognyst statement on the murder of Zeynep Şenpınar. He asked if this was a coincidence or a perception operation by saying “The story is the same; a woman fond of freedom and a story of death in illegal living” by trying to legimitize feminicide. Thousands of women answered  the question in the same night on social media. Women are claiming their decisions, freedoms, right to live. They do not allow to statements that make excuses for feminicide and legitimate it.

Ministry Of Religious Affairs, published an online document named “Our Family Life” and adviced that women and men should not dance together, make local dances and he claimed that these are against to Islam.

Women continue to fight against femicide:

Zeynep Şenpınar, 25-year-old living in Muğla, was beaten, stabbed in her chest and killed at her home by Ahmet Kemaloğlu, who she was in relationship with. It turned out that Zeynep was complaining because she had been subjected to violence before, and then withdrew her complaint.

Gülnur Kocabaş, 22-year-old living in Manisa, while she was going to work, killed with a firearm in the middle of the street by Yusuf A., who she worked with at the same place, and was in relationship with. It turned out that Gülnur told the workplace that he was threatened, but no action was taken.

Hülya Özmen, 29-year-old living in Erzurum, was shot dead in the street with a firearm by Mükremin T., who was married with her sister. The perpetrator made the woman, who he was married to, listen the murder on the phone. It turned out that the offender was dismissed from the specialist sergeant position for harassing a woman.

Fatemeh Alidadishamsabadi, 64-year-old living in Istanbul, was killed 3 months ago by her son-in-law, 35-year-old Mohammad Khodarahmi, whose bodies were dismembered and stored in a freezer.

Selda Başaran, 23-year-old living in Aksaray and mother of two children, was stabbed to death from various parts of her body in front of her children by Harun Başaran, who was in the process of divorce.

Fatma Kökoğlu, 44-year-old living in Çanakkale and mother of two children, was intercepted by Aydın K., who she was in the process of divorcing when she returned from her night shift with her 19-year-old daughter, she was killed in front of her daughter in the middle of the street with a sharp object.

8-year-old M.Ç, the daughter of a family who went to Bursa for seasonal work, was injured as a result of being hit by a vehicle while she was playing on the roadside. The person, who crashed M.Ç., threw into an empty irrigation canal and killed her after the accident.

Women continue to be exposed to sexual violence:

It was revealed that 43 women were threatened and blackmailed by B.Ö., who introduced himself as a specialized sergeant.

Ayşegül Aksoy, a research assistant at METU, was harassed by a man who stayed across the room in the Emirsultan Boy Student Dormitory belonging to the Credit and Dormitories Institution in Bursa, where she was quarantined for returning from abroad. It was learned that police ignored the complaint, took no action and tried to close the matter by saying: "I don't have to explain anything to you either."

Ezgi Ulugün, who is a member of Kocaeli Bar Association Women's Rights Commission and lawyer, was subjected to sexual assault with knife force by the man she divorced 3 years ago. Ezgi Ulugün continues to receive death threats.

D., who lives in Tunceli, was exposed to sexual assault by Y.K., who is the Branch Manager of Şok Market. It was revealed that the perpetrator was sent to another branch in Bingöl on the same mission.

Güneş Ekin Sarıtaş was harassed by the MNG cargo courier by telephone after he delivered the cargo to her home.

Child abuse continues:

It was revealed two months ago that 10-year-old boy living in Çorum Kargı district had been abused by Deputy Mufti F.K. and the County Mufti's driver H.B.A. for years. The investigation was carried out by inspectors from the Directorate of Religious Affairs. F.K. and H.B.A was suspended, the perpetrators were only arrested after their reaction on social media 2 months after the complaint.

It was revealed that 13-year-old girl living in Sinop N.T. was repeatedly abused by her father Ömer T. and she became pregnant 2 years apart. Ömer T. was arrested.

50-year-old A.Y. abused a 5-year-old girl in the middle of the street in Beyoğlu last month. In April, he was released from prison on 1-month leave due to coronavirus.

It was revealed that 14-year-old girl living in Denizli was abused by her father M.E. He admitted the allegation and he was arrested. In the case of a 59-year prison sentence, M.E. denied the abuse and the girl changed her statement. The court board based the girl's initial statements on contradictory statements, but they reduced the sentence to 18 years and 9 months by applying good conduct time.

It was revealed that 8 girl students at a high school in Sarıyer, Istanbul, were suffered from sexual abuse by their department teacher. Teacher M.K., who denied the accusation, was arrested. He will be tried up to 120 years in prison on the grounds that "sexual abuse to multiple children".

It has emerged that a mentally disabled girl living in Sakarya was repeatedly abused by her father. Although the perpetrator was sentenced to 15 years 7 months and 15 days for "qualified sexual abuse of a child", he was released after only 4 months of detention. The perpetrator continues to threaten the woman he married, children and her son-in-law with death.

Lawsuits in May:

Ayşe Karaman, 25-year-old living in Ankara, was found suspiciously dead last year in July at the home of the male medical doctor Özgür Tarhan, who she was in relationship with. The defendant was remanded in Criminal Court on the ground that 'premeditated murder'. The lawsuit that seen in this month, the defendant was released on the pretext that there was no doubt of dimming the evidence in the trial.

An appeal against a non-follow-up decision in the case of Nadira Kadirova, who was found suspiciously dead at the home of AKP Deputy Şirin Ünal, has been rejected. Nadira's case will be moved to the constitutional court.

The murderer of Çağla Tugaltay, who was killed by planning 20 years ago at the age of 15, has still not been found despite having DNA. Her case will be prescribed on June 5.

*Our report: The news of violence against women, which is reflected in the press every month, includes cases, new events, and details of the women’s movement. While news of women's murder were directly reflected to the public, regardless of the complaint; because of the emergence of news about sexual violence and child abuse, covering these crimes and investigations and litigation processes are continuing, it is difficult to determine the net number. Therefore, we would like to point out that the data on child abuse and sexual violence are much more than the news that reflected in media and the announced data of ours. Within the scope of the Istanbul Convention, the relevant authorities of the state should specify and determine the methods of combating violence; accordingly, aforementioned authorities do not do them regularly. We reach a number by collecting the applications that are coming directly to us and cases that are reflected in the press and then we prepare our report within this framework. We take our Women's Murder report according to the concept of Femicide. So according to the concept of Femicide; “all female gender individuals, from the embryo to the fetus, from the baby to the child, from the adult to the elderly, are killed or forced to commit suicide by a man solely on the basis of their sex or on the basis of acts contrary to the perception of gender identity. Femicides should not be perceived as murders in which only female sex people are killed. In these murders committed with hate, what is being attacked is the female identity.”