2021 Annual Report of We Will Stop Femicides Platform
One of the important events of this year was the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention overnight, which concerns the lives of all women, children and LGBTIQ+ people. We were in demonstrations all over the country to say that we are not giving up on the Istanbul Convention. On June 19, we held the We Don't Give Up on Istanbul Convention rally with women and LGBTIQ+ organizations from all over the country. After our egalitarian feminism debut, which stated the necessity of eliminating all inequalities, we were at the rally for the first time with our symbol; the starred femina sign. Turkey may have withdrawn from the Istanbul Convention overnight, but the Istanbul Convention, which we have been talking about in every city for years, will not leave our lives. Our rights are not lost by an arbitrary practice of a man. We are the Istanbul Convention; we will not stop explaining its importance.
The most important agenda of the whole country, especially in the last quarter of 2021, was the economic crisis. With the increase in exchange rates, the Turkish Lira depreciated rapidly. In the face of these increases, products' prices have increased exponentially. The minimum wage, which was announced with praise, does not even meet the basic needs of the working people. While the government pats the back of capitalists, it continues to ignore the workers. The minimum wage increased by almost 50%, has no value compared to the price rise on products. While citizens talk on the streets about how hard it is to support themselves, the officials talk about how well the economy is doing. The crisis has severe negative consequences for women as well. Currently, some women do not receive equal pay for the same work as men. It is not difficult to foresee the increase in this situation and informal employment in 2022. The government cannot leave the fate of the working people in the hands of the bosses. No worker is alone.
Süleyman Soylu contradicted himself with the statements he made this year. In April, he said, "After the withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, femicides have decreased". Considering the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention happened in March, it is unrealistic to conduct that analysis during such a period. The experienced decrease within a month does not show the effect of the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. Apart from this statement, Soylu said that the number of femicides has decreased in the last 5-6 years. In the same statement, he announced that this year, the number of femicides would be higher when compared to the previous year. First, the minister says that after withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, femicides decreased, and then he made this statement. The Ministry of Interior, which publishes undefined, contradictory and unstable data, should stop trying to cover up the reality.
Suspicious femicides are on the rise. The perpetrators, aware that the system legitimizes femicides, try to cover up their murders. An effective investigation and prosecution process is not carried out regarding the murders of women, which are left as suspicious deaths. The perpetrators who are aware that the authorities do not fulfil their duties try to cover their murder as suspicious female deaths. Every time there is a suspicious female death, we ask, "What happened?". However, the authorities insist on not even answering these questions. We will continue to ask these questions. We have no intention of allowing any death to be left suspicious. The authorities should do their duty and reveal the truth about the suspicious female deaths.
In the data we compiled this year, we are faced with two more significant results, together with the increase in suspicious female deaths. It has been revealed that 33 of the 280 women murdered this year had previously filed a complaint with the police or the Prosecutor's office or had a restraining order. Although 33 women went to the authorities, they were killed by male violence due to the authorities' failure to fulfil their duties. We do not even know how many of these officials have been prosecuted. While the authorities do not protect the women who go to them and do not uphold the Law 6284, the Minister of Interior says that femicides have decreased. Dozens of our friends who exercised their constitutional rights were detained this year, and lawsuits were filed against them. While women fight to stop femicides, law enforcement immediately intervenes unconstitutionally. The murder of 33 women, even after going to the authorities, proves that women's lives are not treated with the same "meticulousness." Law enforcement officers who do not fulfil their duties and do not uphold the Law 6284 should be identified, and necessary processes should be initiated. Another significant result is that, in the 35 femicides committed this year, 20 of the murdered women were killed with their relatives, and in 17 of them, the relatives of the women were injured. While women are murdered, their relatives who want to prevent this are also murdered or wounded. Nowadays, male violence targets not only women but also the relatives who try to stop the death of women. The authorities are responsible for their non-preventive policies gives the perpetrators this courage. Our fight will continue for every official who does not protect women and who carry out policies that encourage the perpetrators.
For the first time, in 2021, the Constitutional Court demanded the prosecution of public officials who had shown negligence regarding a femicide. In the case of Serpil Erfındık, who was murdered by the man she used to be married to, the Constitutional Court demanded the prosecution of public officials who did not take adequate preventive and protective measures. This decision is one of the archetypal decisions in the women's liberation fight. For years, we have been saying that officials who failed to protect women and do not fulfil their duties regarding femicides should also be prosecuted. The decision of the Constitutional Court as a result of our fight is a significant achievement. In addition, the Prosecutor's referral letter about the perpetrator who threatened a woman with a knife in the Istanbul Kadıköy metro was one of the prominent issues. While the perpetrator was arrested, in the referral letter, the Prosecutor claimed, "It is an attack on the right of all women to live freely, to be on the street and to continue their lives." Our fight grows. As it grows, the precedent decisions are made in femicide cases and cases where there is violence against women. Our fight will continue until we stop femicides and violence against women.
This year, the sentence of Çilem Doğan, who had killed the man she was married to in order to survive, was upheld. Çilem was sentenced to 15 years in prison. In the same period, in the case of Emine Bulut, which was engraved in our minds with her sentence "I do not want to die", it was revealed that the Prosecutor of the Regional Court of Justice wanted a discount on the grounds of good behaviour and provocation. Women are forced to kill their perpetrators of violence in order to survive. On the other hand, in the cases where women did not have a chance to protect themselves, the perpetrators can get discounts. Çilem had complained many times about the perpetrator, but she was not protected. In a system that does not protect women, the judiciary does not prosecute the women, who were only protecting themselves, fairly but wants a discount for the perpetrators who murdered women. Our fight in the cases of Çilem and Emine will continue. We will ensure justice for women through our organized fight.
In 2021, women's freedom fight all over the world continued. After the takeover of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the liberty of Afghan women was taken away. In response, women protested in the streets at the cost of their lives. Women who fight against abortion bans in Mexico, Argentina and Texas have made various gains. Women in Turkey are also fight against many economic and social issues. Our fight for equality and freedom is the same with women all over the world. We are continuing the same fight on different issues. The winner of this fight will be women. Women will live free in Turkey and the world!
The requirement of concrete evidence for arrest in crimes such as sexual abuse and murder was accepted in the Turkish Parliament. In the meantime, even if there is evidence, the perpetrators are not arrested, the laws are not enforced. Despite this, the accepted article protects the perpetrators. Laws should be implemented for women and children, not to acquit perpetrators. We will continue to fight against femicides and child abuse.
Of the 30 women who were killed in December, 17 were killed by the man they were married to, 2 were killed by the man they were with, 2 were killed by the man they used to be with, 4 were killed by the man they used to be married to, 4 were killed by a man they knew, and 1 was killed by her brother.
22 women were killed in their homes, 1 in the street, 1 at her workplace, 1 at a hotel, 1 in a car, 1 in front of her home, 1 at the entrance of an apartment, 1 at a park and 1 in the garden of a health clinic. 73% of the women killed this month were killed in their own houses.
20 of the women were killed with firearms, 8 women with sharp objects, 1 woman by being beaten with an iron club and 1 woman by being choked.
In 2021 by whom were the women killed?
Of the 280 women killed in 2021, 124 were killed by the man they were married to, 37 were killed by the man they were with, 24 were killed by a man they knew, 21 were killed by the man they used to be married to, 16 were killed by a relative, 13 were killed by the man they used to be with, 13 were killed by their father, 11 were killed by their son, 6 were killed by their brother, 3 were killed by a stranger and 1 was killed by a stalker who has been following her for a long time. The affiliation of the murderer with 11 women couldn't be determined.
In 2021, women were killed mostly in their homes.
178 women were killed in their homes, 33 in the street, 12 at an open area, 10 at their workplace, 9 in a car, 8 in a deserted place, 6 at a hotel, 2 at the entrance of an apartment, 2 at a park, 1 in the coal storage, 1 at a shed, 1 in front of a school, 1 in a minibus, 1 in the bathroom outside of her home, 1 at a law firm, 1 at a factory, 1 at the parking lot, 1 in front of her home, and 1 in the garden of the health clinic. The place of murder of 10 of the women couldn't be determined. 64% of the women killed this year were killed in their own houses.
In 2021, women were killed mostly with firearms.
134 women were killed with firearms, 93 women with sharp objects, 31 women by being choked, 8 by being beaten, 3 by being burned to death, 2 by being thrown from a height, 4 by being hit with a hard object, and 3 by being ran over by a car. For 2 women, how the murder took place couldn't be determined.
During 2021, the employment status of women still couldn't be determined.
It is very difficult to determine the employment status of women. We believe it is crucial that this data should be taken into account by the members of the press. Women who are not included in or are removed from employment become more vulnerable to the dangers of gender-based discrimination, violence and femicide in society. According to the data available this year, 38 of the women who were murdered worked in a workplace, 2 were retired and 7 were unemployed, whereas the employment status of 233 women is unknown.
6284 and its Consequences
The Law 6284, which regulates many measures such as expulsion, close protection against perpetrators and gives women many rights from financial empowerment to changing their identity information, came into force due to years of fighting by women's organizations protects women if implemented effectively. The enactment of the Law 6284, which was brought to protect women and prevent violence, became possible after signing the Istanbul Convention.
It is unknown whether 251 of the women killed in 2021 had a protection order. It is known that 24 women had a restraining or protection order, 9 women had given complaints to the police or the prosecutor's office. Moreover, 30 of the murdered women were in the process of divorce.
Abdullah Ç., who was working as a contracted private, stabbed Leyla S. in the street in Antalya where he came when he was on leave. He allegedly knew Leyla S., who was a police officer working in the Bureau of Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, and had an argument with her for an unknown reason.
The aggravated life sentence given to the perpetrator in the Ceren Damar case, who was killed by his student Hasan İsmail Hikmet, was unanimously approved by the Supreme Court of Appeals. It was stated in the decision that the non-appreciation reduction was based on legal grounds.
The accused Musa Orhan was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the crime of "driving İpek Er into suicide by subjecting her to sexual assault". The request for his arrest was denied.
The celebration of Osman Ç. at the prison gate in Mardin, who was released after the first hearing of the lawsuit filed against him for allegedly sexually abusing his nephew Z.Ç., caused a great reaction. Despite the court's notification that he should be present at the hearing to apply for a re-declaration, he was acquitted at the hearing, where he did not show up.
In Ankara, Sibel E., who was stabbed 7 times by the man she used to be married to, was seriously injured. It was learned that Ercan B., who had 5 restraining orders, had 55 criminal records.
In Bingol, students in KYK girls' dormitory organized a protest, saying that unknown men were entering the dormitory and harassed the students. Students drew attention to Ş.T., the student who committed suicide in the dormitory, and said, "We do not have security in the face of these unbelievable events such as suicide, stabbing and harassment that have occurred recently.".
In Hatay, G.C. was seriously injured when the man she used to be with poured hot oil over her head after being subjected to violence and sexual assault by him.
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, injunctions 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 clarified immediately.
As we have been explaining in our reports for a while, there is a significant increase in the number of suspicious female deaths presented as suicide or natural death and the number of women who died suspiciously during the pandemic. Suspicious deaths of women, unfortunately, can be even more difficult than femicides. It is necessary to reveal whether the women were killed, whether they were killed by accident, whether they were killed on the basis of gender (whether it was femicide) and whether they committed suicide or were driven to suicide.
In Şanlıurfa, 23-year-old Mülkiye Kazan was found dead in a village near her home 35 days after she disappeared. It turned out that Mustafa Asan, who was arrested for the death of Mülkiye, was found at the place where the last phone signal of Mülkiye Kazan came from.
In Kocaeli, 40-year-old Lola Ibatova was found dead in the hotel room she was staying in. M.H., who came to the hotel with Lola Ibatova, was arrested for Lola's death.
In Diyarbakir, 16-year-old Reyhan Direkçi was found shot dead with a gun in her school. Although it was officially recorded as a suicide, it was learned that the weapon used in the incident belonged to retired police officer C. A.
20-year-old Elif Toru was found dead by a lake in Istanbul.
26-year-old Garibe Gezer was found dead in prison in Mardin. Garibe, who allegedly committed suicide, had previously said that she was subjected to torture and was sexually assaulted in prison. Garibe's family and lawyers stated that Garibe's death is suspicious and that it was not possible for her to hang herself in solitary confinement.
23-year-old Şerife Çiçek, mother of two, was found dead in Diyarbakır.
Şifanur, who stayed in a dormitory in Bingöl, died after falling from the 4th floor of the building. It was learned that the Prosecutor, who came to the scene, warned the students and dormitory officials not to disclose any information with anyone.
The suspicious deaths of 217 women in 2021 should be revealed as soon as possible. What to do is clear; the Law 6284 and the Istanbul Convention should be implemented effectively and holistically together with all institutions and organizations. Investigations into suspicious deaths of women should be carefully examined and quickly concluded.
We are ending 2021 with hopeful developments; our fight will continue in all areas:
We are in the Squares all over the Country
This year, we were at the squares for the first time with both our starred femina sign and LGBTIQ+ Assembly. We were at the Worker-Labourer Rally with our Women's Worker Assembly cortege. Our protests continued with a pluralistic approach in Istanbul and many other cities.
We will continue to talk about egalitarian feminism and we will fight for everyone who is exposed to inequality, with the individuals of the Women's Assembly and LGBTIQ+ Assembly.
In all the cases we followed, we were in the courthouses with the families of the women who were murdered and with the women who were subjected to violence. The gains we have achieved through our fight in many successive cases in Bursa is hopeful. We will continue to fill the courthouses so that each perpetrator receives the necessary punishment. The families of the women who were murdered and women who were subjected to violence will never walk alone.
We are in Schools, Campuses
This year, we participated in the protests, as Women's University Assembly, against the appointed rector of Boğaziçi University. At the same time, our protests regarding the housing problem continued. Many young women had to return to their homes before they could even start school due to the housing problem. We will continue to defend the right to equal and free education.
As the Women's Workers Assembly, we were with the women who were fired from their jobs due to the pandemic and various excuses, who experienced rights violations and were subjected to mobbing. This year, our member Yeliz Kurt, who was working at Vestel and was unfairly fired, won her reemployment lawsuit with our fight. Women workers will not give up the fight against the bosses. We will establish an equal world without exploitation and violence.
On the International Agenda
This year, we established Germany Women's Assemblies. We organized protests, with our members that are in Germany, for 8th of March, We Won't Give Up on Istanbul Convention, 25th of November and Azra Gülendam. We will keep on organizing with women in Germany and all over the world. Another good news this year, we were considered worthy of the Gender Equality Award by Finland. Gülsüm Kav, who received the award from the Prime Minister of Finland Sanna Marin, said this award belongs to all the women who keep on fighting. "Dying to Divorce" was nominated for the Oscar Awards as England's best international full-length film. Our fight is spreading not only in Turkey but all over the world, and it will continue.
Stories of 30 women who are killed in December
In Antalya, 30-year-old Aylin Hayriye Alkutay, mother to 2, was killed with a firearm by Mustafa Ayata, the man she used to be married to. The perpetrator also injured Hayriye's two siblings.
In Adana, 55-year-old Fatma Hoşça, was killed with a firearm by Osman Hoşça, the man she was married to. Fatma had been exposed to violence by the perpetrator before and had said that she didn't want to be buried next to him when she died. Osman Hoşça later committed suicide with the same weapon.
In Kayseri, 39-year-old Zehra Çakır was killed with a firearm by İsmail Çakır, the man she was married to. Ismail Çakır committed suicide right after the murder.
In Sivas, 43-year-old Sultan Dağaşan was killed with a firearm by D. Dağaşan, the man she was married to.
In Antalya, 63-year-old Gülsenem Yılmaz, mother of one and a retired teacher, was stabbed to death by Talat Yılmaz, the man she was married to. It was learned that after murdering Gülsenem, the perpetrator waited next to her corpse until the morning and turned himself to the police.
In Antalya, 52-year-old Gülderen Çelik was killed with a firearm by Kutlay Çelik, her brother. It was revealed that the perpetrator killed her because their father left everything to Gülderen in his will.
In Şırnak, 32-year-old Özlem Çapur, mother to 2 children, was stabbed to death by M. B., the man she used to be married to.
In Urfa, 22-year-old Selva El Hinedi, mother to one, was stabbed to death from her back and chest in the street while she was walking to the hospital she was working as a translator by Ayad El Hasan. It was learned that the perpetrator killed her on the pretext of refusing his marriage proposal and that the perpetrator later ran away.
In Adana, 28-year-old Nazik Sancar was killed with a firearm by Ömer Sancar, the man she used to be married to. Nazik's father said that the perpetrator had been using violence against her and was addicted to alcohol and drugs.
In Mardin, 32-year-old Cahide Can, mother to 4 children, was killed with a firearm in front of her children by Sabri Can, the man she was married to. The perpetrator shot Cahide 6 times with a shotgun after using violence against her.
In Kayseri, 20-year-old Hörmet Doğan and her 1,5-year-old daughter Yasemin Nur Soyak were killed by their throat being slit by Kaya Doğan, the man Hörmet'sas married to. After the incident, the perpetrator attempted suicide.
In Trabzon, 69-year-old Hatun Moradaoğlu was killed with a firearm by the man she was married to. It was learned that the perpetrator went to the police station and surrendered after firing 2 shots at Hatun.
In Kocaeli, Kezban Oak was found shot in the head in an empty field. The perpetrator K. A. was caught with the firearm he used to kill Kezban.
In Mersin, 41-year-old Feriha Temiz was shot 9 times with a firearm and killed in her workplace by Metin Masat. After the incident, the perpetrator attempted suicide.
In Kocaeli, 35-year-old Nebahat Er was killed by her throat slit on the pretext that she broke up with Celal Serçe. Initially alleged as a suicide, it was revealed that the perpetrator was Serçe when his phone was found in Nebahat's house.
In Antalya, 28-year-old Gülsüm Bilgiç, mother of 1, was killed with a firearm by Metin Bilgiç, the man she was married. to.
In Mardin, 27-year-old Cemile Başçı and her mother Kadriye Başçı were killed with a firearm by Seyfettin Değer, the man Cemile was married to. After the incident, the perpetrator attempted suicide with the same weapon. It was learned that the perpetrator used violence against Cemile before their divorce, and Cemile had gotten a restraining order against him twice for 15 days.
In Bursa, 77-year-old Gülser Uyar was shot dead in her sleep by Ali Kemal Uyar, the man she was married to. It was learned that after killing Gülser, the perpetrator called her daughter said, "I killed your mother." The perpetrator was taken into custody after her daughter contacted the police.
In Giresun, 35-year-old Hülya Alaca, mother of 2, was shot dead by Yiğit Tüysüz, the son of the man she was with.
In Muğla, 36-year-old Derya Gül, mother of 2, was shot dead by Semi Sayın, the man she used to be with. The perpetrator committed suicide in his car after the murder.
In Antalya, 31-year-old Rukiye Akgül died after getting hit on the head with an iron bar by Emrah Akgül, the man she was married to. After the murder, the perpetrator surrendered to the police.
In Şanlıurfa, 21-year-old Meral Baran, mother of 1, was shot dead by Mehmet Şah Baran, the man she was married to. It was revealed that the perpetrator killed Meral with the gun he took from his car after an argument broke out at the family health center while taking their children to be vaccinated. After the murder, the perpetrator committed suicide.
31-year-old Meryem Yılmaz, mother of 3, who went out for grocery shopping in Istanbul, was stabbed to death 15 times by Erdal Dönmez, the man she used to be with. Her brother stated that Meryem had received death threats before and had given a statement to the police. It was later revealed that the perpetrator had 60 criminal records.
Semra Yıldız, mother of 2 living in Ağrı, was shot dead by Cengiz Yıldız, the man she was married to. After the murder, the perpetrator committed suicide with the same weapon.
In Bursa, 33-year-old Hibetullah el Muhammed el Nasır, mother of 6, was stabbed multiple times to death by Muhammed Rehhal, the man she was married to. After the murder, the perpetrator burned the flat where they were staying. It was learned that the perpetrator, who was taken into custody, said, "I do not regret killing her. May God have mercy on her." in his statement. It revealed that the perpetrator was addicted to drugs and that Hibetullah had issued a protection order against the perpetrator because he was inflicting violence on her.
In Adana, 28-year-old Melike Yağmur Uyaner, mother of three, was shot and killed by Yunus Emre Uyaner, the man she was married to. It was learned that the perpetrator killed Melike on the pretext of having a hysteria attack after losing money on the cryptocurrency exchange and committed suicide after the murder.
In Istanbul, 31-year-old Mariyam Aloui Ep Guitni was strangled to death by Mohammad O.E.A., the man she was married to. It was learned that the perpetrator raped Mariyam on the pretext of breaking up with him and later tied her mouth, hands and feet and strangled her.
In Ankara, 24-year-old Derya Damla Yurdakul was stabbed to death by Süleyman Yurdakul, the man she was married to. It was learned that Derya had a restraining order against the perpetrator and that the perpetrator came to her house with the excuse of reconciliation.
In Kocaeli, 35-year-old Güzin Çetin was shot and killed by Turgay Çetin, the man she was married to. It was learned that Güzin had a restraining order against the perpetrator and was in the process of divorce.
*Our Report: It includes news about cases of violence against women, recent events and the women's movement, which was reflected in the press every month. We compile the news reflected in the press and the applications that come directly to us, reach a number and prepare our report within this framework. We handle, bring together and evaluate our report according to the concept of Femicide. In other words, according to the concept of Femicide; "It is the killing or forcing suicide by a man of any female individual, from embryo to fetus, baby to child, adult to elderly, simply because of their gender or on the pretext of their actions contrary to the perception of their gender. Femicides should not be perceived merely as murders in which people of the female gender are killed. In these murders committed with hatred, what is attacked is the identity of the woman herself."