2020 October Report

21 femicides and 8 suspicious deaths of women in October

Thanks to women’s struggle, the discussions about withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention ended. The fight to stop femicides has been continuing for the past 10 years in Turkey. At our platform, we have been sharing the data on femicides since 2010 with the public opinion.  On the other hand, the Ministry, which is responsible for sharing the data on femicides, argues that the data on femicides were prepared incorrectly, instead of explaining why, how, by whom and how many women were killed. According to the Istanbul Convention, the government has the obligation to share and explain statistics. In addition to explaining the reality of femicide and suspicious deaths of women, the government is also responsible for implementing concrete solution recommendations to stop femicides. We will continue our struggle in order to see all relevant ministries and mechanisms act in that regard.

Cause of death of 12 women left undetected

This month 21 femicides took place and 8 women were found suspiciously dead. The cause of death of 12 women out of 20 could not be detected. 9 of them were killed because they wanted to divorce, refusing to make up, refusing to get married or having a relationship- all are decisions that they wanted to give about their own lives. The inability to determine under what pretext these 12 women were killed is a result of the invisibility of femicides and violence against women. As long as it is not determined who killed the women and why; as long as a fair trial is not held and the suspects, accused and murderers do not receive deterrent sentences, or preventive measures not applied, the violence keeps happening, only changing the form it takes.

The data of femicides committed in October according to provinces are as follows:

We would like to share the names of our sisters, each of whom constitutes a life in itself:

By whom were women killed?

In October, 6 of the 21 women were killed by the men they were in relationship with, 5 were killed by the men they were married to, 5 were killed by someone they knew, 1 was killed by the man she was married to, 1 was killed by her former partner and 1 was killed by her brother. The degree of affinity of the people who killed 2 women could not be determined.

The place where women were killed mostly is their home

12 women were killed at home, 2 in the car, 2 at the workplace, 2 in the middle of the street, 1 in a deserted place and 1 at the hairdresser. The place where 1 of them was killed could not be determined. 57 percent of the women killed this month were killed in their homes.

Most of the women were killed by firearms

14 women were killed by firearms, 5 by sharp objects, and 2 by drowning.

Employment status of women still cannot be determined

It is very difficult to determine the employment status of women. We think that this important data should also be taken into account by press members. According to the data announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the number of women "engaged in housework" decreased by 1 million 285 thousand this month compared to the previous year. Thus, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute, the number of women who are not even considered as labor force reached 10 million 201 thousand in July 2020. TurkStat’s explanation of the data in this way is an attempt to cover up the real dimension of women's unemployment. Women who are not taken into working life or removed from employment become more vulnerable to the dangers of gender-based discrimination, violence and femicide. According to the available data, 4 of the women work in a workplace and the working status of 17 women is unknown.

The Ministry of Justice presented a bill to the Presidency and the party group for discussion. The bill proposes the duration of alimony to be maximum 6 years, with a lower limit of 2 years. In our country, where the gender inequality gap is wide, more than 11 million women are not even included in the unemployed category and are considered as "engaged in housework". This situation prevents economic independence in an environment of gender inequality and increases economic inequality. In such a situation, it is unacceptable to try to prevent the right to alimony. It is one of the misogynistic practices of those who cannot find a solution to the unemployment of women, the problem of insecure and part-time work and even women are not seen in employment. After the planned alimony period, women are further isolated in the area of children care and employment of women.

Implement Istanbul Convention, Ensure the justice

In October, inequal and misogynistic decisions has been made in violence against women and femicide trials. One of the most clear example of the current justice system in our country is while Musa Orhan,who is the suspect on case of  murder of İpek Er is being judged without any prosecution on arrest, Kadir Şeker was sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in jail because he accidentaly caused death of the perpetrator when he was trying to stop violence against women. These practices are reflections of the encouragement of the perpetrators, misogynistic decisions and ignoring of gender inequality.In october,we questioned our trust to the justice system and we saw that unjust provocation and good conduct abatements are implemented in femicide and violence against women trials. These abatements,which are given in violence against women and femicide trials as if there is not gender inequality,protect perpetrators and encourages femicides and violence against women cases that might happen in future.Implementing the precautions that has been brought up by the İstanbul Convention on judgement and prosecution is one of the most crucial steps.

22-year-old Fatma Erdoğan,living in İstanbul,was murdered by Eren Erdoğan who is the man she was at the stage of divorce,with a firearm and her body had circled around for 2 hours. Good conduct abatement has been implemented in the case that pended this month to the perpetrator who said before murder "I will kill you. I would be in jail for 4 years then released" in spite of life imprisonment sentence. 29-year-old Elif Özde Uzun,living in İstanbul,was murdered by the man she was together, with a sharp object. Perpetrator has been sentenced 18 years imprisonment with unjust provocation abatement. 26-year-old Sedef Berberoğlu ,who was living in Muğla, was murdered by the man she was living apart with a shot gun. Perpetrator has been sentenced 30 years prison with provocation abatement. In the trial of anesthesia technician Ayşe Karaman who found death suspiciously, suspect doctor Özgür Tarhan was sentenced 3 years 4 months prison because of "causing death with conscious negligence" . Derya Elbasan who was living in İstanbul was exposed to armed attack by Erol Erbasan,the man she was at the stage of divorce.Perpetrator is released by sentence of 2 years 8 months and 15 days imprisonment and good conduct abatement.

Law No. 6284 and some consequences

Law No. 6284 regulates many precautions such as close protection towards women and restraining of the perpetrators, strengthens women financially and allows them to change their credentials. 6284 came into effect as a result of women’s organizations’ years of fights and if effective, it protects women. The law No. 6284, which was introduced to protect women and prevent violence, became possible after the signing of the Istanbul Convention.

It is unknown whether 15 of those women who were killed in October had protection order covering them or not. It is known that 7 of them had legal applications such as police complaints, divorce applications, restraining or protection orders.

Tuğba D., who was living in Kayseri, was stabbed at her home by Emrah D. Tuğba, who was stabbed in many parts of her body, tried to save herself by jumping from her apartment’s balcony.

30-years-old Kadriye E. was stabbed in front of the courthouse by Metin E in Kırıkkale where she had a divorce case hearing on that very day.

Dilek Tuncer, mother of 2, who was living in Bursa was killed brutally with a cutting tool by Adem Tuncer, the man he married to, with the excuse that ‘she wanted a divorce’. The perpetrator was found 9 years later in a house where he was hiding in the city of Muş.

All of these prove that the full and effective application of Istanbul Convention and Law No. 6284 is crucial for women. In order to protect women effectively, cautionary decisions should be implemented, the process should be followed, all units of the State should protect the rights of women and public officials who do not fulfill their duties should not go unpunished.

Suspicious deaths of women must be immediately enlightened

As we have been explaining in our reports for a while, number of suspicious women deaths presented to the public as suicide or natural death is severely increasing with the pandemic. Suspicious women deaths can be even more challenging than femicides. The elements below must be enlightened:

- Are they murdered?

- Did they die by accident?

- Are these femicides, i.e. murders based on gender?

- Are these really suicides?

- Were they forced to take their own life?

In the case of Duygu Delen, who died suspiciously by falling down from the 4th floor of a building in Gaziantep, the suspect was asked to be sentenced for the "deliberate murder of a child".  We will disclose suspicious points about Duygu's death.

17-year-old Nursin Köse, who lived in Diyarbakır, was found seriously injured after suspiciously being shot with a firearm. She lost her fight for life. It is claimed that she was forced to marry by bride exchange[1] method.

Gülşen Kömürcü, mother of two living in Istanbul, was found suspiciously dead in her bed after being shot by a firearm. It was revealed that she was being subjected to physical and psychological violence by the man she was married to and she had moved to a women’s shelter before going back to her hometown with her children during the pandemic.

Kübra B., a 25-year-old woman from Samsun, was suspiciously found hanging from the natural gas pipe at her friend M.Y.’s house.

The truth behind the 8 suspicious cases of women deaths that we have learned about in October must be revealed as soon as possible. What must be done is clear: the protection law No. 6284 and the Istanbul Convention need to be applied completely and efficiently within every institution. The investigations regarding these suspicious women deaths must be held carefully and finalized immediately.

What Happened in October Concerning Women?

Misogynistic discourses and practices continue:

Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales brought new updates to the rules that are followed in sexual violence cases. They are warning against the possible false information and biased statements (for example, prejudiced and misogynistic comments like “If you have met a man online or on a matchmaking app, then you were looking for sexual intercourse and you should be prepared for it”)  that may be encountered while preparing the indictment according to the new rules. 

As a result of the research that was made by the U.S. Department of Labor between 2012-2014, it was revealed that 106 female professors were paid less than the male professors at Princeton University. The university has agreed to pay 1 million dollars retrospectively and work towards ensuring wage equality for the future.

According to the misogynistic verdict the Constitutional Court in Poland signed this month, women will no longer be able to access abortion, even if the fetus has serious defects.

A woman living in Najafabad, Iran was arrested for riding a bicycle without wearing a headscarf.

Deputy Chief Physician Ali Edizer of the Gülhane Military Medical Academy (GATA), attracted great reaction for his proposal to men to "get a second wife", targeting the Civil Code. Edizer was dismissed because of his expressions.

According to the Presidential Annual Program of 2021 published in the Legal Gazette, a project aimed at establishing a "women's university" is on the agenda. A "women's university" cannot be accepted in a country where gender equality is ignored in all areas of life and where there are attacks against the Istanbul Convention, which was formulated to ensure gender equality. This potential project aims to confine women to a certain boundary with an unequal condition. Women are fighting for the right to an equal and free life and education for all in all social areas of life, and do not seek individual liberation. Violence against women and femicides cannot be prevented by confining women to four walls that are claimed to be safe. The Istanbul Convention, which was prepared to stop gender- based violence and provide gender equality, should be implemented effectively and fully. In a situation where the convention is not implemented effectively, a project for "a women's university" will appear as a new dimension of violence against women. 

Stories of life struggle of the 21 women killed in October

Tuğba Keleş, a 35-year-old mother of one child, living in Adana, was killed by Erdoğan Küpeli using a firearm at her workplace, with the excuse of refusing his friendship offer. Küpeli, who had a restraining order, was previously detained for abusing and threatening Gülay Mübarek and was released on the condition of judicial control. 

Emel Orhan, who lived in Osmaniye, was killed by Gökmen Orhan, to whom she was married, with a firearm at their house. 

Sinem Kaya, a 33-year-old mother of two children living in Aydın, was killed with a firearm by Dinçer Ö. She was out dumping the trash when she saw the man she was religiously married to[2] but with whom was living separately and had a restraining order against at the time. She escaped to a hairdresser’s to hide but was murdered there. It turned out that the perpetrator had a 3-day prison sentence for violating the protection order because he had previously threatened Sinem.

Hülya Güllüce, 39, who lived in Adana, was shot dead in her house with a firearm by Abdullah Kaya on the excuse that she had received a text message on her phone. She was religiously married to the perpetrator but was wishing to leave him. It was found that Hülya G. previously divorced him due to being subjected to violence before, but continued to live with him under a religious marriage.

Bihter Yalçınsoy, 31, who lived in Izmir, was killed with a sharp object in her house hours before the divorce proceedings, under the excuse that she had refused to speak with her husband, from whom she was to divorce.

Gül Gülsüm, 33, who lived in Istanbul, was strangled to death in a reed field and then left in a deserted house by Fikret Çakmak on the pretext that she had rejected his offer of reconciliation. Gül Gülsüm was religiously married to the perpetrator whom she had a restraining order against.

Hiba Yusuf, who lived in Istanbul, was killed in her home by Fadi al-Haddah, with a sharp object, in front of her 4-year-old child.

Gamze Esgicioğlu, 23, who lived in Isparta, was found dead in the house where she lived, stabbed in the heart. As a result of the investigation, it was revealed that Hasan Bölüm, with whom she was dating, killed her on the pretext of jealousy.

Makbule Can, 64, who lives in Antalya, was killed by her son-in-law with a firearm on the excuse that she had refused to act as a mediator to reconcile him with her daughter. It was revealed that Makbule Can's daughter was staying in a women's shelter.

Hatice Tusu, the 59-year-old mother of 2 children living in Aydın, was strangled to death by Suat Aksoy, whom she had a restraining order against after his harassments, on the pretext of wishing to make a decision about her own life. Her body was found buried in a swamp after she was searched for missing for 4 days.

Mahide Güneş Anıl, 25, who lived in Düzce, was shot in the heart with a firearm by Kemal Anıl Şenol, with whom she had a relationship. It turned out that Mahide was kept hostage in a house and asked to be rescued by calling the 112 Emergency Call Center before she was killed.

76-year-old Melek Bulut, living in Erzurum, was killed by Mustafa Kuvvetli who slit her throat. Kuvvetli allegedly came to the victim's house for repairing and killed her on the excuse that he was verbally attacked by the victim.

19-year-old Hazal Tektaş, living in Istanbul, was subjected to the persistent stalking and exposed to death threats by Mehmet Ali Atış, the man whose proposal of marriage was turned down by the victim. She was killed with a firearm by the same man in the middle of the street.

24-year-old Melek Aslan, living in Diyarbakır, was killed with a firearm in the middle of the street by her brother Mustafa Aslan, on the excuse that the victim had taken decisions relating to her own life. Orhan Vatansever, the man with whom the victim had been in a relationship in the past and had a restraining order against, was also arrested with the suspicion of instigating the murder.

S.Ü., living in İstanbul, was killed with a sharp object by the man she was married to, M.Ü.

27-year-old Büşra Gizem Güzelsoy and her mother 48-year-old Gülya Barutçu, living in Konya, were killed with a firearm by Büşra’s ex fiancé Ömer İğret, whom Büşra had left a while ago, inside the car. After perpetrator disturbing Büşra and her family after the separation, Büşra applied to the court. Despite the cautionary decision made by the court, the perpetrator kept stoning Büşra's house and although the prosecution started an investigation regarding this harassment, the prosecutor's office issued a decision of non-prosecution on the grounds of there being no evidence other than the statements made by victims and sent the file to the Conciliation Office. It was learned that the perpetrator stopped disturbing Büşra and her mother through an agreement made by promising in this office 2 months ago. It was revealed that, 2 hours before they got killed, Büşra and her mother went to the police station again and had a protection order against the perpetrator by filing a complaint.

26-year-old Gizem Önal, living in İzmir, was shot and severely wounded by Köksal Doğru, from whom Gizem’s employer Handan Doğru was to divorce. Gizem passed away this month after fighting for her life for 55 days.

40-year-old Gülay Güneş, living in Çankırı and mother of three, was killed with a firearm by Mesut Açıkgöz, the man she divorced from one month ago. It was revealed that the perpetrator sneaked into her house by having a locksmith open the door for him.

52-year-old Nuran S., living in Kahramanmaraş, was killed by the man she was married to, Cuma S., with a firearm in her house.