2021 October Report of We Will End Femicide Platform
1.12.2021
18 Women were Killed by Men in October 2021, 19 Women were found suspiciously dead.

2021 October Report 

 

18 Femicide, 19 Suspicious Female Death in October 

 

The struggle to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 11 years. As the platform, we have been disclosing femicides data to the public since 2010, when we identified the need. On the other hand, the Ministry of Interior distorts the facts by saying data on femicides were being prepared incorrectly. Instead of explaining how many women were killed, why and how. Along with explaining the reality of femicides and suspicious deaths of women, it is the duty of the state to implement concrete solutions to stop femicides. We will continue to fight for the mobilization of all relevant ministries and mechanisms to fulfil this task.  

 

The reason behind the murder of 12 women could not be determined. 

 

In this month, 18 femicides were committed and 19 women were found suspiciously dead. The pretext of murder behind 12 of the 18 women couldn’t be determined and 6 of them were killed on the pretext that they wanted to make decisions about their lives, such as wanting a divorce, refusing to reconcile, refusing to get married or refusing to have a relationship. The inability to determine the pretext behind 12 femicides is because violence against women and femicides are not brought into view. Unless it is determined by whom and why women were killed, a fair trial made, the suspects, perpetrators and murderers given deterred punishments, preventive measures implemented, violence will continue to change its dimension. 

 

By whom were the women killed? 

Of the 18 women killed in October, 11 were killed by the man they were married to, 3 were killed by the man they were with, 1 was killed by her son,1 was killed by the man she used to be with and 1 was killed by her relative. The affiliation of the murderer with 1 woman couldn’t be determined.  

 

 

Women were killed mostly in their homes. 

 

13 women were killed in their homes, 2 in the car, 1 in the middle of the street, 1 at her office and 1 at the law office. 72% of the women killed in this month were killed in their own houses. 

 

Women were killed mostly with firearms.  

 

10 of the women killed this month were killed with firearms, 4 women with sharp objects, 2 by being beaten, 1 woman by being choked and 1 woman by being hit on the head with a stone. 

 

The employment status of women still cannot be determined. 

According to the available data, 2 of the murdered women had been working in a workplace and 1 woman hadn’t been working anywhere. The employment status of 15 women is unknown.  

 

 

We were at the Worker-Labourer’s Rally for Our Labour and Freedom 

 

We joined the Workers-Laborers Meeting held in İstanbul Kartal Square on the 24th of October with our Cortege of Worker Women’s Assemblies. Within the male-dominated system of exploitation that has been going on for centuries, the usurpation of rights against workers has increased, especially during the pandemic. During the pandemic with dismissal bans, employers forced workers to be unemployed under the pretext of Code-29 or take unpaid leaves. 

 

The workers who were on unpaid leaves off were not only not able to receive their salaries but also their chances of finding new jobs were eliminated. Those who were dismissed under the pretext of Code-29 also faced obstacles in finding new jobs. The government, which did not stand with the workers and turned a deaf ear to the resistance of the workers, made profit improvements for capitalists. 

 

It was of great importance to join this rally, which has a significant meaning for labour fight, with our Worker Women’s Assemblies Cortege. It is impossible to separate women from the class fight. We constitute half of the society and half of the working class. Moreover, it should be taken into consideration that women are most exposed to injustice, harassment, mobbing and all kinds of pressure in the workplace. During the pandemic, women were the first to be dismissed. In addition to the usurpation of rights in the workplace, the domestic burden of women increased considerably during the lockdown. It is precisely for these reasons that the fight of workers cannot be separated from the fight of women. We will continue to fight for our labour and freedom.  

 

We will fill the streets in many cities in Turkey on the 25th of November 

 

25 November International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is approaching. We started preparing and planning in different cities for the 25th November. We will be on the streets all across Turkey with our political slogan, “Women will live freely in Turkey and the world”. In Istanbul, we are meeting at Kadıköy-Beşiktaş Ferry Station on Sunday, the 27th of November at 18.00. Our fight is the same fight with women around the world fighting for their rights and freedoms. Come, let’s carry the flag of our fight in all the cities in Turkey on the 25th of November! 

 

Aggravated Life Sentence Demanded for Ümitcan Uygun upon suspicious death of Esra Hankulu 

 

The investigation into Esra Hankulu’s suspicious death is completed. According to the forensic report, Esra had died due to internal bleeding caused by a head trauma. Moreover, it was found out that Ümitcan Uygun’s testimony given for Historical Traffic Search was a false statement. Prosecutor demanded an aggravated life sentence for Ümitcan Uygun who remains in detention.  

 

Ümitcan Uygun was released before even though he was the primary suspect for Aleyna Çakır’s suspicious death. He was later detained when he became a suspect for Esra Hankulu’s suspicious death. The evidence related to Esra’s death remains incomplete. All evidence should be revealed, shared transparently with the public and the suspicion around Aleyna’s and Esra’s death should be resolved.  

 

Moreover, both women who died suspiciously, warned their relatives before their death; “If I die, this person is guilty for my death”. Women point at potential perpetrators before they die. Even though women do this, the effectiveness of the investigation process is still questionable. The history of violence in these women’s lives and whether they told their relatives about it or not should also be included in the investigation. We will make sure investigation and prevention processes are implanted effectively and will not leave femicides suspicious.  

 

Justice should be served for all the neglect in Şebnem Şirin’s murder 

 

In Denizli, 23-year- old Şebnem Şirin was killed by Furkan Zıbıncı by a sharp object. The reason was that she wanted to break up with him. After the murder, it was found out that the perpetrator had a criminal record for six different crimes, including sexual assault. We do not know if the investigation after this sexual assault was run effectively. During the incident, the police who came to the site upon noise complaints simply knocked on the door and left the building, claiming there was no noise even though Şebnem and the perpetrator were inside the apartment. We do not know whether Şebnem was alive when the police came to the crime scene. All the questions remain unanswered. The public should be informed about what happened when the police came to the crime scene and whether an effective investigation was deployed for the past crimes committed by the perpetrator.  

 

Arrests and Trials at Boğaziçi, Restrictions at Dormitories should end!  

 

While resistance against the last appointed rector at Bogazici University continues, the arrests continue. The trials are also ongoing. Our friends, who wanted to protest against the appointed rector in Bursa 9 months ago, were arrested even before they started to protest. 17 of our friends were found innocent after the trial was held this month. The resistance against the appointed rector will continue! Students’ demand for democratic elections should be accepted and applied!  

 

In Izmir Cihannüma KYK Dormitory, female students were banned from wearing pyjamas on shared areas because it was "unethical". You cannot decide what women can or can not wear in the streets, at work, at school, or in the dormitories they live in. We will keep fighting until we gain our equality and freedom in campuses and dormitories. 

 

Reactionary government cannot prevent LGBTIQ+s and LGBTIQ+ Fight.  

This month, the Minister of Interior made a statement saying, "We are preventing LGBTI so it would not disrupt our family structure and lead our children to immorality." Despite the efforts of the government, which considers the heteronormative family structure and the binary gender system as "moral", the LGBTIQ+ fight cannot be prevented. We will continue our fight against all kinds of reactionary and moralist impositions on the society. 

 

6284 and its Consequences  

Law 6284, regulated many measures such as restraining orders and close protection against perpetrators. The law, which gives women many rights, from financial empowerment to changing their identity information, came into force as a result of years-long fight of women's organizations. If implemented effectively, it protects women. The enactment of Law 6284, which was made to protect women and prevent violence, was made possible after signing the Istanbul Convention. 

 

The trial of our LasTesis action in İzmir has been postponed to the 31th of March. Our fight will not stop. Judge the murderers, not the women!  

 

In Bursa, Kamile B. was stabbed by the man she was married to, on the pretext of “going to the market without informing him”. 

 

In Kayseri, Ceyda Ö. jumped from the balcony to escape the violence of the man she was married to. Her condition is severe.  

 

In Konya, sect leader Süleyman Işık, who was sentenced to 62 years in prison for sexually assaulting his male followers by saying, “I am transferring spiritual knowledge”, was released on the grounds “the victims consented”.  

 

In Gaziantep, a woman was stabbed 12 times and was seriously injured by the man she was in the process of divorce with, on the grounds that she wanted 500 liras in alimony.  

 

A decision has been made in the trial of İkranur, who was killed and thrown into a stream in İcilli village of Bulancak district of Giresun, about 16 months ago, regarding her uncle and aunt, who were arrested in connection with her death. In the terrible incident, the uncle was sentenced to life imprisonment for "deliberately killing the child", and the aunt was sentenced to 5 years for helping and blackening the evidence. 

 

Boğaziçi University Rector Prof. Dr. Naci İnci has also deemed to be a victim of persistent stalking. Taking advantage of the Law 6284, which even women could barely benefit from,  precautionary decision was taken against 14 Boğaziçi University students. 

 

A lawsuit was filed against the suspect Zaynal Abarakov's father, Engin Yücel, for creating a perception that Gülistan committed suicide. An arrest warrant was issued for him as he did not participate in the case.  

 

In the case of Leyla Aydemir, who was killed at the age of 4, all the defendants were acquitted. 

 

All these examples show how vital the full and effective implementation of the Istanbul Convention and 6824 is for women. For the effective protection of women, protection measures should be implemented, the process should be followed, all units of the state should protect women's rights, and public officials who do not fulfil their duties should not go unpunished. 

 

Suspicious female deaths should be enlightened immediately.  

As we have also explained in our previous reports, there is a severe increase in the number of suspicious women deaths presented as suicide or natural death during the pandemic. Suspicious deaths of women, unfortunately, can be even more difficult than femicides. It is necessary to reveal whether they were murdered or not, whether they killed accidentally, whether they were killed on the basis of gender (whether it was femicide), whether they committed suicide or were driven to suicide.  

 

The 19 suspicious women deaths we learned throughout the month of October should be enlightened as soon as possible. The line of action is obvious; the resile decision from the Istanbul Convention should be withdrawn, Law 6284 and İstanbul Convention should be effectively and holistically applied within all institutions and establishments. The investigations into suspicious deaths of women should be thoroughly analyzed and be concluded in a timely manner.  

 

It was revealed that 18-year-old Aleyna Ağgül, who was found suspiciously dead in front of the apartment building she lived in Iğdır, left a note starting “Görkhan Argın is responsible for my death”. Furthermore, it was revealed the day before she was murdered, she filed a complaint on Görkhan Argın and got an order for protection against violence on the basis of Law 6284.   

 

28-year-old Nefes Balkan, in Kocaeli, suspiciously fell from the 5th-floor window to her death, while she was arguing with Tunahan T., the man she was with. After the investigations, Tunatan T. was arrested and taken into custody due to some furniture in the house being damaged that suggested the possibility of a physical fight.  

 

21-year-old Kader Güler, in İstanbul, was found dead hanging from the gas pipe with an electrical cord. It was revealed that she told her family she was being physically abused by Umut Güler, the man she married two months ago and that she said in a text message, “If anything happens to me, the only responsibility lies with Umut”. 

 

37-year-old Esra Malgır, in İstanbul, left her house to feed the cats and was found suspiciously dead in the next building's basement. Her brother, Haluk Malgır, found his sister on the balcony of the basement floor of said apartment, lying covered in blood. He stated that her death was suspicious.  

 

 

What Happened in the Month of October regarding Women?  

 

Mustafa Masatlı, the governor of the province of Amasya, said, “Even to the ladies, we can provide jobs. On a small scale, not difficult, we can give jobs that ladies are capable of”. He finished his words by saying, “People are unemployed because they don’t like jobs, not because they can’t find jobs”. 

 

Tamer Karadağlı’s actions and interruption of Nihal Yalçın’s acceptance speech during the Antalya Altın Portakal Film Festival drew reactions. Nihal Yalçın in her speech said, “Istanbul Convention saves lives”. 

  

After Sarah Everad’s brutal murder at the hands of a police officer in the UK, it was announced that within the last 28 weeks, 81 women were murdered.  

 

NATO/EAPC prepared an Action Plan for the Implementation of the Women, Peace and Security Policy. 

 

 

Family and Social Services Ministry made suggestions on transitions to flexible shifts in public jobs, increased paternity leave after childbirth and different tax proportions for single and married people in the meeting of “Subcommittee of Identifying the Problems within Determining and Preventing the Difficulties Faced in Women’s Integration to Work and Family Life” that was formed under the body of TBMM Commission of Equal Opportunity of Women and Men. 

 

Rezan Epözdemir, the attorney of Münevver Karabulut’s family, who had been murdered by Cem Garipoğlu, announced that he was offered 3 million euros to recuse and he faced threats during the course of the trial.  

 

The 2022 Presidential Annual Program was published in the Official Gazette. Opening women universities were involved in this year's program as well. 

 

The Foreign Affairs Minister was formed after Taliban’s took over of Afghanistan. The delegate of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Emirhan Muttaki came to Ankara with the invitation of Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, and held meetings with the minister.  

 

The life struggle stories of the 18 women who were murdered within the month of October 

  

43-year-old Ayşe Aksu, in Tekirdağ, was the mother of 3 children. She was murdered with a firearm, in front of her daughter, by the man she had divorced due to domestic violence. His rationalization was that she refused his proposal of getting back together. It was also discovered that the perpetrator wounded the person who was a witness in the divorce case and testified against the perpetrator.  

  

96-year-old Fatma Saman, in İzmir was murdered by Mehmet Sarman, her son, by being hit in the head with stones.  

 

Gönül Yılmaz, a 43-year-old female supermarket employee in Antalya, was shot dead with a hunting rifle at her workplace by Yahya Yılmaz, the man she was married to. The perpetrator then committed suicide with the same gun. It was later transpired that the perpetrator was previously convicted for organizing an armed attack on the Mayor of Tosmur. 

 

Meltem Goncagül, 23-year-old woman in Osmaniye, was battered to death by İbrahim Goncagül at the law firm they were visiting for divorce. 

 

Yeşil Şimşek, 70-year-old woman in Konya, was shot dead with a firearm by Turgut Şimşek, the man she was married to. 

 

Sena Altan, 24-year-old woman in İzmir, was killed with a knife at her own house, by İlkay Ayeş, on the pretext that she had refused his offer to be with. The perpetrator also committed suicide with the same knife. 

 

Semra Yılmaz, 37-year-old woman in İstanbul, was shot to death with a firearm by Aslan Yılmaz, the man she was married to, on the pretext of jealousy. 

 

Ayat Adsız, 31-year-old mother of 2 in Tekirdağ, was killed with a knife by her father-in-law. It later transpired that the offender  sent his wife and grandchildren to the park beforehand the murder but was caught red-handed when his wife came home when he was about to chop Ayat’s body into pieces with a saw to hide the body. 

 

Hadika Çağlar, 39-year-old mother of 4, was killed with a knife in her sleep by Fettah Çağlar, the man she was married to. The perpetrator later committed suicide by jumping out of a window on the 3rd floor. 

 

Fatime Gül Özyer, 27-year-old mother of 1 in Kilis, was battered to death by Mahmut Özyer, the man she was married to. It was later revealed that Fatime was being exposed to domestic violence and could not file a complaint due to the perpetrator's threats. 

 

It was revealed that 33-year-old Özler Yörük, whose body was found burned on a field on the 8th of December 2018, was tortured, strangled to death and lit on fire in the woods by Olcay Altundağ, the man she was with, and other relatives of him that remain unidentified. 

 

Şennur Çetin, 43-year-old mother of 1 in Giresun, was killed with a firearm by Murat Çetin, the man she was married to. The perpetrator had committed suicide with the same gun. 

 

25-year-old food engineer Şebnem Şirin, in Denizli, was killed by her throat getting sliced by Furkan Zıbıncı, the man she was with. It later transpired that the perpetrator was convicted of 6 separate crimes, such as sexual assault, extortion, traffic safety. 

 

Ülker İnal, 58-year-old mother of 2 in Ankara, was killed with a firearm by Erol İnal, the man she was married to. It was later learned that the perpetrator committed suicide after telling his son, “We’re leaving; give us your blessing.”. 

 

Seyhan Gözel, 44-year-old woman in Kocaeli, was killed with a firearm in a taxi by Ali Akbaba, the man she was with. The perpetrator then used the same taxi to go to the police station to turn himself in. 

 

Hasret Tutal, 33-year-old woman in Şanlıurfa, was killed with a firearm by Şervan Bekir Gülel, the man she was with. It was reported that the perpetrator claimed that he shot Hasret on accident. Hasret Tutal’s family stated that Hasret was constantly exposed to domestic violence because she wanted to break up with the perpetrator and that Gülel was trying to cover up the case by calling it an accident. 

 

Nuriye Ünver, 30-year-old woman in Konya, was killed with a firearm by Ahmet Rufai Ünver, the man she was married to. The perpetrator who followed Nuriye, who went to her father’s house after an argument, also shot her mother and grandmother. 

 

Servet Topçu, mother of 2 in İstanbul, was killed with a firearm by Sinan Topçu, the man she was married to. The perpetrator later used the same gun to commit suicide. 

 

Our report: It consists of the news reflected in the press about the cases of violence towards women, recent events and the details of women movement. We prepare our report by compiling the news reflected in the press and the application coming directly to us and after reaching a sufficient number we create our report in this framework. We deal with The Femicide report according to Femicide concept after collecting and evaluating them. According to the concept of femicide; “From embryo to elder, all female gender individuals are killed or forced to commit suicide by a man simply because of their gender or on the pretext of their actions contrary to the perception of gender identity. 

Femicides shouldn't be perceived as murders in which only women are killed. Through femicides, which are committed with hatred, what is attacked is the identity of woman. 

 

 

 

 

 

 



2.12.2021

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