2021 August Report*

31 Femicide, 21 Suspicious Deaths of Women in August

The struggle to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 10 years. As the platform, we have been disclosing femicide data to the public since 2010, when we identified th enecessitiy. Instead of explaining how many women were killed, why, how and by whom they were killed, the Ministry of Interior distorts the facts by saying that the femicide data were prepared incorrectly. In addition to making public the reality of femicide and suspicious femicide deaths, it is the state's duty to implement concrete solutions to stop femicides. We will continue to fight for the mobilization of all relevant ministries and mechanisms to fulfill this task.

The killing pretext of 17 women could not be determined.

Thismonth, 31 femicides were committed and 21 women were found suspiciously dead. The reason why 17 of the 31 women killed could not be determined, while 13 of them wanted to make decisions about their own life such as wanting a divorce, refusing to reconcile, refusing to marry, rejecting a relationship, 1 of them was killed for economic reasons. Theinabilitytodeterminetheexcuseforwhich 17 womenwerekilled is a result of violenceagainstwomenandrendering femicides invisible. Unless it is determined by whom and why women were killed; Unless a fair trial is made and the suspects, accused and murderers are not given deterrent punishments and preventive measures are implemented, violence continues in different dimensions.

By whom were the women killed?

In August, 6 out of 31 women were killed by the men they were married to, 5 by their relatives, 4 by their ex-husband, 4 by their father, 3 by someone they were familiar, 3 by their son, 1 by the man whose marriage proposal was rejected by her, 1 by the man she was living together, 1 by her brother, 1 by a man she does not know, 1 by a man that she refused to meet. The relationship of 1 woman with the perpetrator is unknown.

Women were mostly killed in their homes

22 women were killed at home, 3 in a deserted place, 2 in the middle of the street, 1 in the field, 1 in the workplace, 1 in the minibus, 1 in the toilet outside the house. 80 percent of women killed this month were killed in their homes.

Women were killed most often by the firearms

19 of them were killed by firearms, 9 by sharp objects, 3 by suffocation.

The 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 the members of the press. According to the data announced by TURKSTAT this month, the number of women "occupied with housework" decreased by 38 thousand compared to the previous year. Thus, the number of women, who are not even considered as labor force, according to TURKSTAT, reached 10 million 178 thousand in May 2021. The TURKSTAT's explanation of the data in this way is to try to cover up the true extent of women's unemployment. Women who are not included in the working life or who are removed from employment become more vulnerable to the dangers of gender-based discrimination, violence and femicide in society. According to the available data, 1 of these women works in a workplace, 3 of them does not work in any workplace and the employment status of the remaining 27 women is unknown.

Taliban and Their Supporters Will be Wiped Out from the World, Women will Live with Secularism

With theTaliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the lives of women, children and LGBTIQ+s are no longer safe. It is not possible to say that women's rights will be carried forward in the regime of the Taliban, which says, "We have evolved". Daughters are wrenched out of their mothers. A woman is killed on the pretext of not wearing a burqa. Women are worried that their rights will be taken away and they will not be safe. Despite all these pressures, women are protesting in Afghanistan. Also, before the Taliban, women's rights were not advanced. This situation, which will go back even further with the Taliban, we must fight together with the Afghan women. It is unrealistic to seek help from the imperialists who try to appear worried. We have held demonstrations for Afghan women in İstanbul, İzmir, Iğdır and Bursa. Our struggle with them is common. We see to what extent the lives of women, children and LGBTIQ+s are in danger in every anti-secular issue. Our struggle will continue as long as there are women resisting anywhere in the world.

Fires Continue in the Country, Where are the Authorities?

The climate crisis has been forewarning us for many years. But the government ignored this and continued to protect its own interests. It still continues to do so. Fires have been going on for months in many places of the country. The authorities do not take the necessary precautions before the fires, and they disappear during the fire. The citizens are trying to extinguish the fire with buckets and hoses in fire areas. The question comes to mind is clear: If we are the ones who will intervene in the fires, why are you here?

The government trying to get rid of by holding the municipalities responsible for the fires. The members of the government, who travel with their private planes in any case, do not deign to take the THK planes out of the hangar and put out thefires. Furthermore it is publicising the IBAN numbers to stop the fires.

Where are the taxes collected from the people for years, why they are not used, these are also questioned.

On the other hand they promise to give houses on credit, as if mocking people whose houses and livelihoods are burned down. It is the people who will transform the reaction an danger, that has been growing for months, into an organised struggle and change this order.  We must continue to fight for the measures to be taken and for the necessary interventions to be provided.

The Perpetrators Murder the Women and Their Relatives

In these 6 different cases, women and their relatives were killed by the perpetrators. While the women are trying to be killed, their relatives resist and become a target for the perpetrators. 5 out of 6 of the cases, 10 women were murdered. The violence of men targets both the women and their relatives. The courage of easily killing women comes from the political issues that allows and encourages the perpetrators to murder both women and the ones who try to prevent the perpetrators. What are competent authorities waiting to stop the violence of men that ended up murdering the women and their relatives? Our fight will continue for both stopping women murder and changing the system for women's benefit.

Eda Nur’s suicide: the result of the system

Eda Nur Kaplan got raped and had a legal complaint about it to the authorities. However there is nothing done. Just because nothing was done with the perpetrators , Eda Nur ended her life.  The perpetrators has arrested after Eda Nur’s suicide. Eda Nur’s sister said that when she went to the police station on the day Eda Nur got lost, the police officers said “There was nothing they could do”. The authorities do nothing before or after women are exposed to the violence . They didn’t even try to find Eda Nur after her sister told them she was lost. The ones who didn’t start the process of regular law are responsible for Eda Nur’s suice as much as her perpetrators. The authorities are waiting as the women are being exposed to the violence, intimidation, being murdered and got forced to suicide. After the woman's death, the ministry said that “We will follow-up the case”. The ones they didn’t have any precautions before women got  murdered salts the mine while saying we will follow up the case. You have the chairs for preventing and stopping the women’s murders. We will fight for Eda Nur and the other women.

The Women Murders and Suspicious Women Deaths are Increasing, Non functionality Continuous

Azra Gilendam Haytaoğlu that no one got any news from her and whose body was found in a forest area and it came out that she was murdered by a man. Before Azra got murdered, their family was told to wait for Monday to get the phone signal.  On Monday we got Azra’s death. If the autories had done something to find her when her family went to the police station, Azra now could have been alive. We saw this kind of regardlessness and non functionality when it comes to the womes’s suicide or murder.  The authorities don’t do the things that they are supposed to do while a woman is alive, as a result women are killed.  While we are saying women can be protected by law, the authorities avoid doing it with their  political dysfunction.

We were acting for Azra in several places in Turkey. We know the ones who will give an account of every single woman. Till they do it, till the women murder ends we will fight for it.

Esra Hankulu was found dead in Ümitcan Uygun’s house. Ümitcan Uygun is the main suspect of Aleyna Çakır’s death. When the DNA report of Aleyna’s case is obvious, ones, haven’t arrested Ümitcan Uygun, are responsible for Esra Hankulu’s murder. After Esra’s death, Ümitcan Uygun was arrested for killing one intentionally. So what will be done about those who hadn’t had the legal procedure and hadn’t arrested him after Aleyna Çakır’s death? In the country, they open an investigation for the ones who demand justice but on the other hand, they publicly let them go the main suspicious of a woman murder.

 While women are losing their lives suspiciously, the perpetrators try to cover the cases. The authorities don’t lay bare the suspicion of suspicious women's death. This month, a woman named F.G. fell over from her own house’s window. The man she was married to claimed that she herself jumped out of the window after they had a fight. When F.G. recovered, she told that the man she is married to was the one who pushed her out of the window. If F.G. lost her life, the perpetrator would make it look like a suicide. And the authorities may accept his statement and may settle the case. When we have a lot of samples like this , what are the authorities waiting for to run the procedures effectively? We bring into open lots of women murder cases that are made it look like suicide case with our fight by asking “What Actually Happaned?”. On the other hand the authorities show doggedness against not revealing the truth of the women's murders.We will fight against the ones who don’t conduct the inquiry effectively, the ones who don’t arrest the suspicious.

Boğaziçi’s New Trustee Will Leave By the Resistance

In the election which was conducted by Boğaziçi’s constituents Naci İnci, temporary trustee of Boğaziçi got 95% black ball. After that with a new legal decision, Naci İnci was assigned as a new rector of Boğaziçi University instead of the Trustee Meli Bulu. They rule out the laws and democratic processes. Melih Bulu was dismissed as a result of our fight. We will resist for Boğaziçi and like Melih Bulu, Naci İnci will be dismissed.

If the school’s are starting,taking the precautions and getting vaccination is necessary

The points that the youth should take from the university exam were adjusted and lowered.  When the youth is faced with unemployment, this thing will cause increation of the number of unemployment.

The schools are opening soon. The minister of national education Mahmut Özer said the education will be face to face. Not all the students have been vaccinated nor the precaution taken. The necessary things must be done immediately before face-to-face education starts.

Discrimination Against LGBTIQ+’s Will Come to an End With Resistance

Volleyball player Ebrar Karakurt was exposed to discriminatory statements about her sexual orientation after the photo she shared on social media. No LGBTIQ+ has to hide their sexual orientation and gender identity, and a world where they can live without hiding will also come with struggle.

Results

Law No. 6284, that went in effect as a result of years of struggle of women’s organizations, which regulates many precautions such as expulsion, close protection against perpetrators and gives women many rights from financial empowerment to changing their identity information, protects women if it is implemented effectively.The enactment of Law No. 6284, which was brought to protect women and prevent violence, became possible after the signing of the Istanbul Convention.

Filiz Adalı, who lives in Zonguldak, filed a criminal complaint against S.A. , who she has been married for 19 years and has been separated for 1.5 years,alleging that she was subjected to violence, threats and insults. She filed a criminal complaint alleging that she was subjected to violence, threats and insults. “I don’t want to be killed. I don’t want my name to be among the murdered women,” she said.

It was learnt that although Serap Avcı, who was subjected to violence by the man she is divorced, filed a complaint against him to the police; the police did not receive her complaint by saying, “You will receive a battering report, then you will complain when you leave the hospital after receiving the report.”

It was revealed that 16-year-old R.Ş., who has been sexually abused by her own father for 2 years in Diyarbakır, was pregnant when she got sick and was hospitalized. It was learned that the perpetrator was arrested.

S.T. was detained and subjected to violence for 2 days in Tokat. The perpetrator Ayhan Bengi, who was taken into custody, said, “If I am released, I will kill you.”

Duygu Şeker was shot with 5 bullets in Eskişehir by Kamil Ö.  , who she used to be married. She said, “I want justice, let him take the necessary punishment.”

The perpetrator, who detained the mentally retarded Şirin Dilan E., who was found 16 hours after she disappeared in Ankara, was released on the condition of judicial control.

All these examples show how vital the full and effective implementation of the Istanbul Convention and the Law No. 6824 is for women. For the effective protection of women, injunctions must be implemented, the process must be followed, all units of the state must protect women’s rights and the public officials who do not fulfill their duties must not go unpunished.

Suspicious women deaths must be clarified immediately.

As we have explained in our reports for a while, there is a very serious increase in the number of suspicious women deaths presented as suicide or natural death and the number of women who are found dead suspiciously during the pandemic process. Suspicious murders of women, unfortunately, can be even more difficult than murders of women. It is necessary to reveal whether women were killed, whether they were killed by accident, whether women were killed on the basis of gender (whether it was femicide), whether they committed suicide or were driven to suicide.

The suspicious deaths of 21 women who are learned in August should be exposed as soon as possible. The thing to do is clear; the termination decision of the Istanbul Convention must be withdrawn, the Protection Law No. 6284 and the Istanbul Convention should be implemented effectively and holistically together with all institutions and organizations. The investigations about suspicious female deaths must be carefully examined and concluded quickly.

Esra Hankulu, who was 25 years old andlived in Ankara, was found suspiciously dead in her home. From the witness statements, it was determined that the last person Hankulu met was Ümitcan Uygun. During the autopsy examination of Esra Hankulu, the DNA profiles of the main suspect Ümitcan Uygun were found between her fingernails.Ümitcan Uygun, who was taken into custody, was arrested by the criminal court of peace on the charge of “deliberate killing”.

25 year old Elif Sinan,who lived in Kırıkkale, was taken into the hospital with a stab in her heart and lost her life, after she had a fight at her workplace with Tuğrul Akan, whom she was with. As part of the investigation, Tuğrul Akan’s statement was taken. After fighting, he claimed that Elif Sinan stabbed herself in her heart to prevent Tuğrul Akan from leaving, and he was released.

15-year-old İrem Çörten, who lived in Çankırı, was found suspiciously dead near the school building. It was determined that İrem Çörten died at least 24 hours before she was found.

30 year old Elif Saltık, who lived in Tokat, went to the plateau of the village with her cousin, Ü.K. (44), and his friends E.A. (50) and D.S. (43). Allegedly, while the group was having fun, the gun in D.S. 's hand accidentally fired. The bullet from the gun hit Elif Saltık. Saltık, who was injured in the chest area, could not be saved despite all the interventions made in the hospital where she was taken.

18-year-old Sude Akarsu, who lived in Izmit, was found with a gunshot to her head in the house of Onur Öztürk,  whom she was with. The release of Onur Öztürk, who was taken into custody, after the deposition at the police station, received a reaction on social media. At the police station, Sude Akarsu's family stated that the bullet in the head of their right-handed daughter entered from the left and Öztürk committed both psychological and physical violence on their daughter. Öztürk was taken into custody again, and was arrested by the court to which he was brought to the courthouse, where he was referred on the charge of "deliberate killing".

17-year-old Betül Kaynar, who was residing in Kocaeli, was found in a pool of her own blood on the street. She has multiplefractures on her body andaftershestruggledfor her life for 3 days, shedied.

16-year-old Elif Terziler wasdroppedoff in front of a hospital by a car with license plate number in İzmir. She died despite all the efforts in the hospital.

22-year-old Bahar T. was arguing with M.O. (who she was together with) because of a reason not yet known. After they argued for a while, Bahar T.’s mother came into the room where the two were fighting, trying to stop their argument. She was taken out of the room by M.O. and right after that, she heard gunshots. When she came into the room again, she found her daughter bleeding on the ground.

Reyhan A. was married off to S.Ç. (who was a woodsman) by a religious nikkah 6 months ago in Batman.  When Reyhan found out S.Ç. was a drug addict she wanted to get out of the marriage. She moved into a women’s shelter in İstanbul after being systematically abused by S.Ç. She was then forced to move out of there by her family and started to live with them. Then her family forced her to move back in with S.Ç but was found suspiciously dead in her family’s house on August 11th.

What Happened About Women in August?

In a seminar named ‘First Step intotheMarriage’ organized by Urfa Metropolis Municipality, obeying men were taught to be necessary. This seminar was held to decrease the number of divorces in Urfa and ‘save the families’ but only women were let in the meetings.

In Malatya, police forces introduced Kadın Destek Uygulaması (KADES) in an Apricot and other Dried Fruits Factory. The app was downloaded into the worker women's phones, they were also informed of Law No. 6284 and were given brochures.

9th-grade student Derya Karadeniz’s article about whether there is life in outerspace “Oberon” was released on NASA's website.

In Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, in boxing Busenaz Sürmeneli got a gold medal and Buse Naz Çakıroğlu got a silver medal while Yasemin Adar in wrestling, Hatice Kübra İlgün in taekwondo, Merve Çoban in karate got a bronze medal.

Women in Kabul, Afghanistan which is taken over by the Taliban protested for their societal and political rights. They chanted  “Work, education, and political participation is a right to every woman!” while mentioning they do not want to lose all their life work or achievements.

ZakiraHekmatwhowas a part of the Afghan Refugees Solidarity and Assistance Association told women in Afghanistan to kill themselves because they find it a more honorable death than being taken by the Taliban.

Supreme Court of Justice in the USA refused to stop the execution of the law that obstructs most women from getting abortions. The law forbids women from getting an abortion after, as phrased by the pro-lifers, the fetus has a heartbeat which is way earlier than most women even find out they’re pregnant. Women’s rights groups applied to the Supreme Court to stop the execution of this law but the judges refused the application 4 votes to 5.

In Indonesia, women cadets don’t have to give a virginity test. Human Rights Watch expressed the virginity test performed by doctors on the young women trying to get into military schools was “systematic, harassing and brutal” on a report.

New York state governor Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation after an investigation started because he sexually assaulted 11 women. Multiple women including his office personnel governor Cuomo sexually assaulted them. New York governor Cuomo denied the claims on live TV.

Life StruggleStories of 31 Women who were killed in August

21-year-old Azra Gülendam Haytaoğlu was strangled by Mustafa Murat Ayhan (who made her a job offer) because she resisted when he tried to sexually assault her. Later it was found out that the murderer broke up Azra’s body into pieces and dumped them into an abandoned land.

59-year-old Sultan Duran who was residing in Denizli was killed by her son-in-law with an assaultrifle.

The 38-year-old mother of 4 Senem Barik was killed in front of her child by İrfan Barik, the man she was previously married to, because she didn’t want to get back together with him. Senem resided in a women’s shelter before and filed a protection order against İrfan Barik 10 days ago.

Baran Hesen Rasho, mother of 1 living in Mardin, Serkan Ö. was killed by a firearm. It was learned that Rasho, whose body was found in a toilet near the house belonging to Serkan Ö., was one of the Yazidi women fleeing the ISIS massacre.

In Antalya, Ali Alataş killed Gülcan Kılınç, a former married mother of 3, 35-year-old Gülcan Kılınç, and her mother, 54-year-old Gülizar Kılınç, with a firearm in the house he entered from the balcony.

Hatice Aslan, living in Bursa, was killed with a cutting tool by Talat Aslan, to whom she was married. It was later learned that the perpetrator committed suicide.

Necla Koçyiğit, 56, living in Karaman, was killed with a cutting tool by Doğan T., whose daughter was in the process of divorce. It was learned that the perpetrator, who came to Necla Koçyiğit's house on the pretext of seeing her children, seriously injured her married woman and her sister.

Ulviye Avağ, a 32-year-old mother of two, living in Istanbul, was killed with a firearm by Mehmet Demir on the pretext that she refused the offer to become a second wife.

In Afyonkarahisar, police officer Atilla Aydemir killed Gönül Aydemir, the mother of two children, and her mother Kadriye Akdeniz, with a firearm, in front of her children. It was learned that the perpetrator, who also killed Gönül's father, later committed suicide.

Kübra Özten, a 39-year-old mother of 2 children living in Adana, was killed with a firearm by Ali Ozan Özten, to whom she was married, on the pretext of cheating.

In Bursa, İhsan Meşe killed Pakize Meşe, 43, to whom he was married, and his daughter Nazlı Meşe, with a firearm. It was later learned that the perpetrator committed suicide with the same gun.

In Samsun, Erkan Arslantürk killed 16-year-old Ebru Arslantürk, who refused to marry him, and Ebru's mother, 41-year-old Hacer Arslantürk, with a firearm.

In Kayseri, 16-year-old İkranur Türksoy was killed with a firearm by B.A., who was at a party he attended.

Fatma Inan, a 52-year-old mother of 4 children living in Istanbul, was strangled to death by her former married life, Metin Esin, on the pretext of jealousy. It was learned that the perpetrator had used violence against Fatma before.

Zekiye Hossini, 30, an Afghan national living in Kırşehir, has been married to the B.M.A. He was stabbed to death by

Gülten Durmaz, 61, living in Muğla, was stabbed to death by her son Emrecan Durmaz on the pretext of not giving money to her son, who asked for money.

In Istanbul, Ahmet Özcan stabbed to death his mother Azime Özcan and his sister Yasemin Özcan.

Semanur Saraç, 32, living in Konya, was killed with a firearm by Mustafa Dağlı, whom she was with. It was learned that the perpetrator committed suicide with the same gun.

Atiye Pullu, 54, living in Muğla, was first drowned and then stabbed to death by her son Hasan Oben Pullu.

Emel Göçer, 33, living in Konya, was killed with a firearm by the tea seller Muhammet İlhan on the pretext that he dropped the samovar in a mobile tea shop.

In Şanlıurfa, 40-year-old Hediye Tokay, mother of 7 children, was strangled to death by Ahmet Tokay, to whom she was married.

Ebru Yüksel, 33, living in Ankara, was killed with a firearm on the street by Salih Özkan, to whom she used to be married.

In Trabzon, 11-year-old Yaren Göktaş, 7-year-old Hiranur Göktaş and 4-year-old Elif Göktaş were killed by their father Emre Göktaş with a firearm. It was learned that their mother had ordered the perpetrator to be suspended.

Ebru Gürcan, 38, living in Bursa, was killed with a cutting tool by Necati Gürcan, to whom she was married.