2023 February Report* 

11 Femicides and 12 Suspicious Deaths of Women in February 

As we have stated in our monthly reports, the source of the data we keep is the news reports published in the press. Since the February 6 earthquake in Kahramanmaraş, our agenda has naturally been the earthquake, the negligence before and after, and the things that should have been and shouldn’t have been done. As the earthquake devastated ten provinces and tens of thousands of people were under rubble, all eyes were on the earthquake zone. While this is very natural, we believe that the news on femicide and suspicious deaths of women was not fully reported in the press due to this situation. It is the duty of the state to disclose the reality of both earthquake-related deaths, femicides and suspicious deaths of women. The political power, which has not fulfilled this duty for years, has not transparently disclosed the number of deaths caused by the pandemic or the earthquake. We are trying to do what the authorities have not done with our own means., by compiling the news reflected in the press and applications coming directly to us. We will continue to report the data on femicides and suspicious deaths of women, which the authorities have not published transparently for years and have turned into a tool for manipulation. You will not be able to cover up the data on either earthquake-related deaths or femicides; we will be pursuing it! 

4 women were killed on the pretext of wanting to take decisions about their life 

This month, 11 femicides were committed, and 12 women were found suspiciously dead. 4 women were killed on the pretext of wanting to take 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 reason behind 5 of the 11 femicides could not be determined. The inability to determine the excuse behind the murder of 5 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, defendants and murderers are given deterrent punishments and unless preventive measures are implemented, violence continues to increase in size. 

We would like to share the names of the women, each of whom was a life: 

Femicide data in the month of February, by city: 

By whom were the women killed? 

Of the 11 women killed in February, 4 were killed by the man they were married to, 3 by the man they used to be married to, 1 by the man she was with, 1 by her father, 1 by her brother and 1 by an acquaintance. This month, 36% of the women who were killed were killed by the man they were married to. 

Women were mostly killed in their homes 

9 of the women were killed at their homes, 1 in the middle of the street and 1 in a car. 82% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes. 

Women were mostly killed with firearms 

6 of the women killed this month were killed with sharp objects and 5 with firearms. 55% of the women killed this month were killed with sharp objects. 

The employment status of women still cannot be determined 

It is very difficult to determine the employment status of women. We believe that this important data should be taken into consideration 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. According to the data available this month, 1 woman was employed The employment status of 10 of the women is unknown. 

We Will Stop Both Earthquake-Related Deaths and Femicides! 

23 women killed between February 2022 and February 2023 had gotten a protection order against their perpetrators. The political power that does not effectively implement Law No 6284 and the measures within its scope is responsible for these deaths. Both earthquake-related deaths and femicides can be stopped. Necessary measures need to be taken, and holistic solutions need to be developed. The same political power that fails to implement laws aimed at protecting women also fails to enforce zoning laws, construction inspection laws and earthquake regulations, causing the deaths of at least 45 thousand people. The political power has made negligence its philosophy and has left the earthquake zone to its fate. During their 20 years of rule, we witnessed how vital institutions were emptied out, rendered dysfunctional, and became the focus of corruption allegations. In the aftermath of the earthquake, threats and attempts to silence the public came before and faster than aid. Twitter, which was used as a solidarity platform during the earthquake, was shut down. Citizens who criticized and protested the negligence were detained. 

In the aftermath of the earthquake, fundamental human rights were violated. Women, children and LGBTIQ+ were particularly affected. They faced security risks and physical and sexual violence. In Hatay, Alev Altun had to return to her former husband Savaş Altun’s house with her 2 children because her house was damaged in the earthquake. Savaş Altun poured boiling water on Alev while she was sleeping, and Alev said that the perpetrator said, “Pray I didn’t kill you”. Again, in Hatay, Şiraz K. had to leave her children with İsmail K., the man she was divorce, after her house was damaged in the earthquake. When Şiraz wanted to see her children, she was subjected to violence. 

Single women and LGBTIQ+s were not given tents on the grounds that they were not families. Their right to shelter was violated, and they were discriminated against. Women who did not want to stay in tent cities due to security concerns were not provided with a safe space. Women and children currently in the area are at risk of violence. The state and law enforcement must urgently eliminate the security risks and create safe spaces. 

Children have also been neglected in this process. While the only institution responsible for protecting unaccompanied minors is the Ministry of Family and Social Services, it was revealed that the children affected by the earthquake were placed in sects, the products of political Islam, by the decision of a mufti, a religious leader. We will continue to defend the rights of women, children and LGBTIQ+s. No woman and LGBTQI+ will walk alone! Women and LGBTIQ+s who cannot benefit from their rights can contact us through our application line at 0(212) 912 42 43. 

This year, as every year, we are in the squares for the March 8th, Women’s Day. Together, we are filling the squares all over the country and saying, “We will stop both femicides and earthquake-related deaths!”. Let’s grow our organized struggle together! 

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 came into force after years of struggle by women’s organizations. If Law No. 6284 is implemented effectively, it protects women. The enactment of Law No. 6284, which was introduced to protect women and prevent violence, was only possible after the Istanbul Convention was signed. 

In the hearing of H. K. G.’s sexual assault case held this month, the prosecutor asked for the defendants to be sentenced on the charge of chain of sexual abuse. The trial was adjourned until March 31st at 09:30 am. 

Muhammed Can Kardan followed Y. T. to her workplace, poured a chemical substance on her with a bucket and then attempted to kill her with a gun. 

In the case of Ayşegül Aydın, who was sexually abused and then murdered by Muhammed Atıkullah, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without any discount for “intentional killing against a child to conceal another crime” and 30 years in prison for “qualified sexual abuse and detention of a child”. 

Cemal Şen, who escaped from prison and killed Neriman Kıvrak, was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment with an “unjust provocation” discount. 

In Pınar Gültekin’s appeal hearing, the prosecutor requested the defendant Cemal Metin Avcı be sentenced for “premeditated murder with monstrous intent” and an “unjust provocation” discount not to be applied. The hearing was adjourned to March 10th at 11:00 am. 

All these examples demonstrate 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 must be implemented, the process must be followed, all units of the state must protect women’s rights, and public officials who fail to fulfil their duties must not go unpunished. 

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. 

In Şanlıurfa, 37-year-old Fatma İ. was found dead in an artificial pond at Harran University.  

In Konya, the body of an unidentified woman was found half buried in a cemetery. 

In Sakarya, 20-year-old İrem Öksüzali was found unconscious in her house by her relatives. She was taken to the hospital where she lost her life. 

In İzmir, the shepherd Emine Metin was found shot dead in the abdomen with a firearm in a mountain area. 

What happened regarding women in February? 

On the 6th of February, the first day of the earthquake, ‘sela’ (a prayer for the dead) was played for people waiting to be rescued under the rubble and their relatives who were trying to rescue them with their own means. 

During the most critical hours of the search and rescue efforts, communication was hindered due to the unavailability of GSM operators. Although assistance and coordination were being provided through social media, Twitter, the most actively used social media platform, was shut down on the third day after the earthquake. 

While many options exist to solve the temporary shelter problem for earthquake survivors, universities were the first to be sacrificed. Universities had to switch to online education so the KYK dorms could be emptied. 

It was revealed that on the third day after the earthquake, Kızılay, the Turkish Red Crescent, sold 2050 tents to the AHBAP association. 

The earthquake survivors protesting Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ in Diyarbakır were detained on charges of “inciting the public to hatred and hostility”. 

The stories of the life struggles of the 11 women killed in February 

In Aydın, 69-year-old Yeter Zorba was stabbed to death 15 times by Celal Taşkıran, the man she used to be married to. It was learned that he killed her on the pretext that she did not have the grave of their son, who died of illness a year ago, made and due to property disputes. 

In Giresun, Sevim Tetik was found dead in her house. The investigation found beating marks on Sevim’s head. It was determined that Ali Tetik, the man she was married to, had killed her by hitting her in the head with an adze and then committed suicide by hanging himself with a clothesline in the kitchen. 

In Manisa, 25-year-old Bahar Kırbaş, mother of one, was stabbed to death by Emre Sürün, the man she used to be married to. 

In Istanbul, Leyla Seyidova was stabbed to death by Erkın Sohbetov on the pretext of a previous loan. It was learned that the perpetrator hid Leyla’s body under a bed and then set the house on fire to cover up the murder.  

In Samsun, 30-year-old Zeliha Nur Sümüş was shot dead with a firearm by 19-year-old Erdemir Sümüş, her brother. The perpetrator, who also killed Akın Toraman, the man his sister was with, claimed that he fired his gun to protect his sister and did not intend to kill her. 

In Antalya, 30-year-old Ayşegül Şimşek, mother of one, was stabbed to death by Erhan Onur Eldemir, the man she had divorced 3 years ago. It was learned that the perpetrator, whom Ayşegül had a restraining order against, waited for her to return from work in front of her house and stabbed her with the knife he had brought. 

In Kocaeli, 25-year-old Cansu Güneş was shot dead by Erdem Kale, the man she was with but wanted to break up with. The perpetrator, who is now arrested, threw Cansu’s body on the side of the highway. 

In Ankara, 23-year-old Melis Ulusoy and 46-year-old Filiz Ulusoy were shot to death by Barbaros Ulusoy, the father of Melis and the man Filiz was in the process of divorce. The perpetrator also killed his son Ediz Ulusoy, Ediz’s son and Filiz’s son, who were at the house. The perpetrator committed suicide after the incident. 

In Afyon, 51-year-old B. G. T. was shot to death by the man she was married to. The perpetrator tried to commit suicide.  

In Istanbul, 27-year-old Gülistan Yüksekova, mother of four, was stabbed to death by Volkan Yüksekova, the man she was married to. The perpetrator, who had eleven separate criminal records, also injured his mother Ülkiye Yüksekova with a knife. The perpetrator was arrested. 

*Our Report: Every month, the news on violence against women in the press includes cases, new incidents and details about 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 analyze, compile 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 of the female gender, from embryo to fetus, from infant to child, from adult to elderly, by a man, simply because of their gender or on the pretext of their actions contrary to the gender stereotypes and the perception of gender identity. Femicides should not be perceived sorely as murders in which people of the female gender are killed. In these murders committed with hatred, what is attacked is the female identity itself”