35 Femicides and 18 Suspicious Deaths of Women in May
The fight to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 12 years. As the platform, since we identified the need in 2010, we have been disclosing femicide data to the public. The Ministry of Interior, on the other hand, distorts the facts by saying femicide data were prepared incorrectly, instead of disclosing how many women were killed as well as why, how and by whom. 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.
15 women were killed on the pretext of wanting to make decisions about their life
This month, 35 femicides were committed, and 16 women were found suspiciously dead. The reason behind 18 of the 35 femicides could not be determined. 15 women were killed on the pretext of wanting to make decisions about their own life, such as wanting a divorce, refusing to reconcile, refusing to marry, or rejecting a relationship, and 2 women were killed on economic pretexts. The inability to determine the excuse behind the murder of 18 women is the result of violence against women and femicides being rendered invisible. Unless it is determined by whom and why women were killed, unless a fair trial is conducted and the suspects, the accused, and the murderers are given deterrent punishments and preventive measures implemented, violence continues to increase in size.
Femicide data in the month of May by city:
We would also like to share the names of the women:
By whom were the women killed?
Of the 35 women killed in May, 15 were killed by the man they were married to, 7 by the man they used to be with, 3 by their father, 2 by a relative, 2 by the man they were with, 1 by the man they used to be married to, 1 by her son, 1 by an acquaintance and 1 by a patient who came for examination. For 2 of the women who were killed, the perpetrators’ relation could not be determined. This month, 45% of the women who were killed were killed by the man they were married to.
Women were mostly killed in their homes
22 of the women were killed at their home, 5 in the middle of the street, 3 at their workplace, 1 in a park, 1 in the garden of a building complex and 1 in a deserted roadside. The location of where 2 women were murdered could not be determined. 61% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes.
Women were mostly killed with firearms
18 of the women killed this month were killed with firearms, 9 with sharp objects, 2 by strangulation, 2 by being pushed from a height, 1 by getting hit in her head with a shovel and 1 by being burned to death. The weapon which was used to kill 2 women could not be determined.
The employment status of women still cannot be determined
It is very difficult to determine the employment status of women. We believe that the members of the press should include this important data. According to the data announced by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the number of women who were absent from the labour force due to their domestic labour was 10 million 35 thousand. According to TÜİK, the number of women who were not included in the labour force in the first quarter of the year (January-February-March) was 21 million 390 thousand. TÜİK’s warped data tries to cover up the true extent of women’s unemployment. Women who are not included in or are removed from employment become more vulnerable to the dangers of gender-based discrimination, violence, and femicide. According to the data obtained this month, 6 of the women were employed, and 3 were unemployed. The employment status of 26 of the women is unknown.
On the 1st of June, We were at the Çağlayan Courthouse
We were at the Çağlayan Courthouse on the 1st of June for the first trial of the unlawful case brought against our association, We Will Stop Femicides Platform. Hundreds of women and LGBTIQ+ from all over Turkey and 280 lawyers from 36 bar associations attended the trial. Relatives of the women who were murdered and women who were subjected to violence attended the trial and talked about how our association impacted their lives.
Istanbul Bar Association, TÜBAKKOM, Gaziantep Bar Association, Ankara Bar Association Women’s Rights Center and LGBTIQ+ Center, Eskişehir Bar Association, İzmir Bar Association, Diyarbakır Bar Association, Tekirdağ Bar Association, Kırklareli Bar Association, Adıyaman Bar Association, Kocaeli Bar Association, and Women and Children First Association made a request for intervention. In addition to the bar associations, the relatives of the women who were murdered and the women who were subjected to violence also requested intervention. All intervention demands were denied. The trial was adjourned to the 5th of October.
In the petitions, which are the basis of the lawsuit, it is claimed that our association “disintegrates the family structure by ignoring the concept of the family under the guise of defending women’s rights”. According to our data, 63% of the women murdered this month were killed in their homes, and 43% was killed by the man they are married to. The data shows that we are not the ones who harm the “family structure”. Many women could have been alive today if those who harass our association, which has been fighting to stop femicides, violence and sexual assault since 2010, had attempted to prevent femicides instead. While the Ministry of Internal Affairs doesn’t even know how many women were murdered, we have been shouting the names of the women who were murdered, standing by their families and following up on the cases. Women know that they can reach us whenever they want and receive support. Those who withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, those who do not implement Law No. 6284, and those who protect the perpetrators and ignore the suspicious deaths of women, are now trying to shut down the We Will Stop Femicides Platform Association. They are indicating they have cast an eye on human rights, including women’s right to life. We will never give up on any of our rights, our freedom, our association and our struggle. We welcome all women and LGBTIQ+s to the Çağlayan Courthouse on the 5th of October.
According to our data, 66 of the 132 women killed by men this year were killed using firearms. This means that in nearly 50% of the murders, the perpetrators had access to firearms.
Facilitating individual armament with legal arrangements and regulations paves the way to the deprivation of women’s right to life. Neither a full-fledged psychological report is requested to obtain a gun legally nor a medical report to carry a weapon for one’s occupation. A clean criminal record is not even required to buy a shotgun. With the change in the regulations made in 2021, men who were previously deemed as “cannot be granted a gun license by no means” and those who had a precautionary decision on the grounds of inflicting violence against women; can now obtain a license.
Women are not only killed due to individual armament but also with weapons provided by the state. Müberra Kuzdan was killed in front of her two children by Specialist Sergeant Gökhan Kuzdan, the man she was married to, with a gun provided by the state for his job. Lawmakers, who are supposed to protect women and keep them alive, support the armament of the perpetrators.
You Can Stop Neither the Women nor the Music!
In the days of continual unlawfulness in the country, society continues to suffer injustices in many aspects of life. More than ever, by imposing bans, the government is trying to repress the people and have a say in people’s lifestyles. It is not only trying to place legal obstacles, such as the closure case brought against We Will Stop Femicides Platform Association, but also by cancelling the concerts of Melek Mosso, Aynur Doğan, Ece Seçkin and other female artists on the basis of ‘immorality’, by placing obstacles on our social life.
We can see where this unlawfulness and fake moralism has reached with the accusation that Melis Sezen’s outfit is a crime and the intervention against a group of women who are doing yoga in a public park in Eskişehir. We will neither allow these efforts to exclude women from social life nor give up on our fight to live freely.
On the anniversary of the Gezi Park resistance, the President called those who had participated in the resistance ‘sluts’ and ‘rotten’. The Gezi resistance is the rightful resistance of millions and the whole public. Many political parties and institutions filed official complaints about the discourse of the President. Moreover, the word ‘slut’ continued to be used in the statement on the Presidency website. These attempts at sexist humiliation will never stop our struggle and will not corrode the spirit of the Gezi resistance.
In Eskişehir, brochures were distributed calling for the “killing, stoning and even burning” of LGBTIQ+s. Many organizations, including our LGBTIQ+ Assembly, issued a press statement stating, “We stand tall against the fascist and phobic government; we are here; we are not going anywhere!”
An LGBTIQ+ prisoner in Eskişehir Closed Prison asked for help with a letter, saying that ze was being sexually abused by other prisoners and was being subjected to physical and verbal violence by the officers. Those who do not make an effort to find the perpetrators of Trans murders are prosecuting LGBTIQ+s with the harshest sentences. With our struggle, we will create a world where we will live equal and free!
In the 9th Boğaziçi Pride Parade held at the Boğaziçi University, approximately 70 students were taken into custody. These attacks will not stop our fight toward an equal and free life!
Law No. 6284 and Its Results
Law No. 6284 regulates many measures, including restraining orders and protection measures. It provides women with many rights, from economic empowerment to changing their identity information. It entered into force as the result of the years-long fight by women’s organizations. If Law No. 6284 is implemented effectively, it protects women. The enactment of Law No. 6284 only became possible after Istanbul Convention was signed.
In Eskişehir, Müberra K. was injured, along with her father, mother, sibling and aunt, by Mehmet Ali K., the man she was in the process of divorce, when he came to her family’s house. Her father Necmeddin Dindaş lost his life due to his injuries.
In the Azra Gülendam Haytaoğlu case, the court sentenced the murderer Mustafa Murat Ayhan to aggravated life imprisonment for deliberate murder without any reduction and 16 years in prison for sexual assault.
In İzmir, Bengü B. was stabbed by Sergen Ö., the man she was with. Sergen Ö. also stabbed Gizem Nur T. in the leg, who was at home during the incident and tried to stop him. It was learned Bengü B. is in critical condition.
In the case of Edanur Demir, who was killed as a result of a bullet being fired by a man she did not know, the court sentenced the perpetrator to aggravated life imprisonment for deliberate murder without any reduction.
In Adana, Fide Uyarlar was repeatedly harassed by Gökhan K. Gökhan K. broke into her house, imprisoned her for days and broke her arm. After Fide filed an official complaint, she was reconciled with Gökhan K. on the condition that he was to stay away from her and not cause her any more discomfort. However, after the reconciliation at the police station, the perpetrator again broke into her house, used violence against her and attempted sexual assault. After Fide complained again, the perpetrator was taken into custody.
In the case of Edanur Kaplan, who, after filing an official complaint that she was sexually assaulted, said, “claim my right” and committed suicide, both the defendants were acquitted on the grounds that “no concrete evidence could be found”.
All these examples show how vital the full and effective implementation of the Istanbul Convention and Law No. 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 be punished.
Suspicious deaths of women should be revealed immediately
As we have been stating in our reports for a while, there is a very serious increase in the number of suspicious deaths of women presented as suicides or natural deaths and in the number of women who were found suspiciously dead during the pandemic. Unfortunately, shedding light on the suspicious deaths of women can be even more difficult than femicides. 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 whether they were driven to suicide.
The suspicious deaths of 16 women that took place in May should be enlightened as soon as possible. Actions needed to be taken in this regard are quite clear; the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention should be reversed, the Protection Law No. 6284 and the Istanbul Convention should be implemented effectively and holistically by all institutions and organizations. Investigations into the suspicious deaths of women should be carefully examined and concluded quickly.
In Ankara, 28-year-old Sultan Irmak was found shot dead in the head at her home. Three people who were at her house on the day of the incident were taken into custody.
In Istanbul, Rabia Yaman lost her life after suspiciously falling from the window of a flat in a building complex. Three people who were in the rented flat and tried to escape in panic right after the incident were taken into custody. An investigation was launched.
In Istanbul, 55-year-old Saadet Polat lost her life after suspiciously falling from the window into the apartment space. It was learned that Hüseyin Polat, the man she was married to, was at home during the incident, and the sounds of an argument were heard. It was also noted that before Saadet Polat fell, her son came home, but Hüseyin Polat did not let him in. It was alleged that her son shouted, “My father threw her, arrest him, so he can’t escape”.
In Istanbul, Cemre Bilmez was found shot dead in the head in her home. Yusuf Islam B., who is alleged to be her roommate, called the police and reported that Cemre and Bilal M., whom she was with, had committed suicide. When the police arrived at the scene, Cemre Bilmez was dead, and Bilal M. was seriously injured. Three suicide letters were found in the house.
What happened regarding women in May?
LGBTIQ+s who wanted to hold the 9th Boğaziçi Pride Parade were unlawfully taken into custody.
In Eskişehir, brochures were distributed calling for LGBTIQ+s to be killed, stoned, and even burned.
Actress Ezgi Mola was fined in the defamation lawsuit regarding a post she shared on her social media about Musa Orhan being released pending trial.
Konya Numune Hospital Deputy Chief Physician and Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) Konya Provincial President Hasan Hüseyin Uysal said, “Women are both the weakest and the strongest part of society. Even in Konya, women who show their belly, half of their breasts, shoulders, and 80 per cent of their thighs have appeared. Isn’t this ‘selling one’s body’? Doesn’t selling bodies lead to prostitution? They say concubines don’t cover themselves; they are no concubines!”.
In Eskişehir, Anadolu Fest, which was initially postponed due to security reasons and then with a decision taken by the governor’s office wasn’t allowed to be held, was prevented from being postponed to another date.
The Spring Festival, which was to be held on the 3rd of June by the Turkish-German University students and the Alumni Association, was cancelled due to the university administration not supporting the festival and hindering the process, according to the Alumni Association’s statement.
In Diyarbakır, during the Turkey Youth Taekwondo Provincial Elections, the trainer O. B. slapped a young woman athlete after she lost the match.
During the Cannes Film Festival, femicides were protested on the red carpet. Women carried a banner containing the names of the 129 women murdered since the last festival.
After a draft opinion leaked from the US Supreme Court, which stated the right to abortion is not rooted in the history or traditions of the country, proponents of the right to abortion met in front of the House of Representatives in protest.
In Spain, the law allowing for menstruation leave of up to 5 days per month was passed. At the same time, non-consensual sex was accepted as rape. Previously, sexual assault crimes were punished under ‘rape’ and ‘non-consensual sexual act’. Under that scheme, a sexual assault could only be classified as rape if the perpetrator used physical violence.
The stories of the life struggles of the 35 women killed in May
In Düzce, 50-year-old Ayşe Alkan was killed by Durdu Alkan, the man she was in the process of divorce, on the pretext that she did not want to reconcile and that she issued a restraining order against him. The perpetrator, who also injured her son when he tried to stop him, declared he had no regrets.
In Ankara, 32-year-old Dilek Ceylan, mother of two, was killed with a firearm by İdris Nesim, the man she was with.
In Aksaray, 26-year-old Zeynep Koyun, mother of 2, was stabbed to death by Bilal Gıvanç, the man she was married to.
In Istanbul, 19-year-old Asiye Nur Atalay was killed with a firearm by Ümit Akkoyun, the man she used to be with, in the middle of the street, on the pretext of jealousy. It was learned the perpetrator had a criminal record of 16 crimes.
In Şanlıurfa, 42-year-old Hülya Elkoca, mother of 3, was killed by a firearm by Mehmet Arslan, the man she used to be with, on the day her restraining order ended. It was learned that Hülya had made requests to the Prosecutor’s office many times.
In Istanbul, Sema Kılıç was stabbed to death by Tuncay Kılıç, the man she was married to. It was learned that Sema was subjected to violence during the marriage.
In Denizli, 43-year-old Hatice Çaltı, pregnant and mother of 2, was found dead at her home. Although at first, the death was considered a heart attack, battery marks and bruises were found in the autopsy report. It turned out that Ramazan Çaltı, the man she was married to, tried to make Hatice’s death look like it was caused by theft and left the bathroom tap open.
In Şırnak, 37-year-old Sakine Kültür, mother of 5, was killed by İbrahim Barkın for the life compensation she received for her youngest child’s disability caused by an explosion.
In Elazığ, it turned out that Remziye Apaydın, mother of 3, who has not been heard from since November 2021, was killed by Nihat Cav.
In Van, Y. P., mother of 2, was killed by the man she was married to.
In Mersin, 37-year-old agricultural worker Sinem Sökmen was killed in her workplace by Halil Korkmaz, the man she used to be with, on the pretext of her rejecting his marriage proposal. It was learned that the perpetrator was threatening and stalking Sinem in her workplace and that she had gotten a restraining order against him, which expired on the 19th of April 2022.
In Istanbul, 45-year-old sales consultant Yeliz Kalkan, mother of 2, was killed by the retired policeman Hüdaverdi Öcal, the man she used to be with, with a firearm in the middle of the street, on the pretext that she broke up with him. It was stated that Yeliz had filed many complaints to the police and had gotten a restraining order against the perpetrator because of his continuous threats and stalking following their break-up. It was learned that the perpetrator had threatened another woman before, but she managed to save her life by getting a restraining order against him and changing her name and address details.
In Afyon, 45-year-old Safiye Mutlu, mother of 4, was strangled to death by İsa Mutlu, the man she was married to, on economic pretexts. It was learned that the perpetrator had used violence against Safiye before for the same reason and that she had gotten a one-month restraining order against him. The incident happened on the day the restraining order ended.
In Eskişehir, 35-year-old Serap Bor was killed by İ. A., her 15-year-old son, with a shotgun. It was learned that while the perpetrator was trying to escape, he also injured her neighbours Ayşe Altın, Döndü Çayır and Türkan Çimeni with the same gun. It was claimed that the man Serap divorced two years ago was the instigator of the incident.
In Aydın, 37-year-old Zehra Çiçek, mother of 4, was killed with a firearm by Mehmet Çiçek, the man she was in the process of divorce.
In İzmir, 61-year-old Nurel Türkmen was killed by the retired police officer Şükrü Türkmen, the man she had been living separately from for about two years, on the pretext of jealousy. It was learned that the perpetrator constantly threatened Nurel. It was revealed that the perpetrator had committed murder before but was released after three years with an amnesty.
In Diyarbakır, 21-year-old Şule Akdeniz Tartuk was stabbed to death by Erkan Tartuk, the man she was in the process of divorce.
In İzmir, 31-year-old Cansu Aydoğdu, mother of 1, was stabbed to death in front of her 5-year-old child, by M. Aydoğdu, the man she was in the process of divorce. The perpetrator also injured Cansu’s mother.
In Istanbul, 41-year-old Handan Uyaroğlu was killed with an unlicensed weapon by Mesut Uzun, the man she was with.
In Bursa, 36-year-old Derya Kayra was killed with a firearm by Erkan Talat Çetin, the man she used to be with, on the pretext that she wanted to break up. It was found out that the perpetrator had criminal records for various crimes.
In İzmir, 43-year-old Rojda Şayla, mother of 1, was killed with a firearm by Nuh Şayla, the man she was in the process of divorce, on the pretext that she did not open the door. It has been learned that Rojda had gotten a restraining order against the perpetrator.
In Düzce, 54-year-old Nevriye Şeker was strangled to death by Ali Şeker, the man she used to be married to.
In Istanbul, 27-year-old survey engineer Beril Varol was killed with a firearm by Yavuz Selim Bektaş, the man she used to be with. It has been learned that the restraining order she got against the perpetrator has just expired. The perpetrator also killed Beril’s roommate.
In Istanbul, 65-year-old dentist Şeyma Biran was found dead in her clinic. It was revealed that she was killed by Ziya E., the man who came to her clinic for a medical examination.
In Çanakkale, Türkan Demir, who worked at a chicken factory, was killed at her workplace by Hakkı Elalmış, a relative who had been bothering her for some time.
In Kocaeli, 52-year-old Güler Karslı was killed with a firearm by Turan Karslı, the man she was in the process of divorce. It was learned that she had gotten a restraining order against the perpetrator, who also injured her daughter Elif Karslı.
In Çorum, 27-year-old Ezgi Taşıran was killed by Emrah Ö., the man her older sister was married to, while Ezgi was trying to protect her older sister from male violence.
In Iğdır, 24-year-old Pınar Kızıl was killed with a firearm by Mahsun Abakay at the house where she was having fun with her friends. In his statement, the perpetrator said he wanted to scare her with a gun.
In Batman, 53-year-old Keziban Başak Demir was killed by Şeyhmus Demir, the man she was married to. The perpetrator also injured his sister-in-law and killed his nephew.
In Aksaray, 27-year-old Gol Bibi Sultani, mother of 2, was killed by Mohammed Hossein Sultani, the man she was married to, on the pretext that she wanted to return to Afghanistan. The perpetrator also killed their daughters, Maryam Sultani and Marveh Sultani, by pushing them from a height.
In İzmir, Recea M. was killed by Muhammed M., the man she was married to, on the pretext of jealousy.
It was found out that 32-year-old Filiz Biçer and her 12-year-old son were burned to death by İsmail Biçer 8.5 years ago in İzmir. In his statement, the perpetrator said he set the house on fire to scare them and get them out of the neighbourhood.
In Antalya, 6-year-old Tetrana Navrotskyy was stabbed to death by her father Oleksiy N. The perpetrator also killed her 4-year-old brother Kiril Navrotskyy. He also tried to kill Yula Navrotskyy, the woman he was married to, but she managed to save her life by locking herself in a room.
*Our Report: It includes news about violence against women reflected in the press each month, about details on cases, recent events and the women’s movement. 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 Femicide Report according to the concept of femicide. In other words, the conceptualization of femicide is; “the killing or forcing into suicide by a man of a woman, 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 gender stereotypes. Femicides should not be perceived merely as murders in which people of the female sex are killed. In these murders committed with hatred, what is attacked is the identity of the woman herself”