2023 July Report*

25 Femicides and 9 Suspicious Deaths of Women in July

The fight to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 13 years. As the Platform, since we identified the need in 2010, we have been disclosing femicide data to the public. Instead of explaining how many women have been killed, why, how and by whom, the Ministry of Interior distorts the facts by saying that the data on femicides are incorrectly prepared. It is the duty of the state not only to disclose the reality of femicides and suspicious deaths of women but also to implement concrete solutions to stop femicides. We will continue to fight for the mobilization of all relevant ministries and mechanisms to fulfil this duty.

The reason behind 18 femicides could not be determined

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

This month, 25 femicides were committed, and 9 women were found suspiciously dead. The reason behind 18 of the 25 femicides could not be determined. 25 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 1 woman was killed on the pretext that the perpetrator has cheated and this has been revealed. 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, 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 July, by city:

By whom were the women killed?

Of the 25 women killed in July, 8 were killed by the man they were married to, 7 by the man they were with, 3 by the man they used to be married to, 1 by a relative, 1 by her father, 2 by their son, 1 by an acquaintance. The relation of the perpetrator could not be determined for 2 of women.

This month, 32% of the women who were killed were killed by the man they were married to.

Women were mostly killed in their homes

12 of the women were killed at their homes, 4 in the middle of the street, 1 in a deserted place, 1 at their workplace, 1 on a waterfront, 2 in a car, 2 in an hotel, 1 in a field. It could not be determined where 1 woman were killed.

48% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes.

Women were mostly killed with firearms

16 of the women killed this month were killed with firearms, 5 with sharp objects, 3 by strangulation, 1 by being beaten to death.

64% of the women killed this month were killed with firearms.

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. According to the data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the number of women ‘busy with housework’ increased by 65 thousand compared to the previous year. Thus, according to TÜİK, the number of women who were not even counted within the labour force became 9 million 982 thousand in 2022. TÜİK’s warped data is an attempt 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 available this month, 7 of the women were employed, and 1 were unemployed. The employment status of 17 of the women is unknown.

First Actions of the Enemies of Women, Children and Nature

The political power, which has been implementing its ideologies hostile to women, children and nature for the last 20 years, continued these ideologies as their first actions after the elections. The legislation was broken by the legislators and those who are responsible for upholding the law.

In 2021, the Akbelen Forest was given to Limak Holding by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to be converted into a coal mine. Locals and activists who were attempting to safeguard the forest resorted to legal action. Despite this, tree cutting in Akbelen Forest started in July. The gendarmerie used water cannons to try and disperse the protesters and detained them. Although Article 169 of the Constitution states that "No activity or action that may harm forests can be allowed", these companies close to political power are breaking the law. As Women Assemblies, we stand against this unlawfulness by joining the Akbelen resistance.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services, whose first goal should be to prevent femicides and violence against women, child neglect and abuse, and policies aimed at increasing social inclusion, took its first step to perpetuate the patriarchal order instead. The Minister stated that indefinite alimony victimizes men and that women want to return to marriages where they have suffered violence.

In addition, when 6-year-old Hatice Timur and her mother Zübeyde Timur were killed by their father Yaşar Timur, the Ministry stated that its agenda was to increase fertility. For this purpose, it was stated that financial aid is planned to be given to individuals to encourage them to get married. In a region where forced marriages and the tradition of bride price are still practiced, will there not be people who forcibly marry their children just to get this money? Because you are targeting the alimony, these women who are forced to marry may not be able to get divorced and continue to live in a violent marriage. Your statement "Women do not want 6284, they want to return home" is an indicator of this situation. Because women can stay in shelters for only 6 months. After this period, they have no assurance. Unless women are economically and psychologically empowered and protected by the law, they will keep falling back into the cycle of violence. We will continue to be the voice of women survivors of violence, so do your job and develop policies that protect women's human rights.

The first statement made by the Ministry of National Education was the need to have separate schools for girls. The reason for this need was cited as the fact that the school enrolment rate of girls is low and that families do not want to send their daughters to school because of the presence of boys in the class. At this point, what is needed is not the idea of opening separate schools for girls, but the fixing of this ideology and thought. Having separate schools for girls is discrimination and marginalization in education. It is a policy that will cause them to internalize the social pressure of being a woman and gender norms from an early age. Despite the misogynist policies of the political power and the newly formed government, our organized fight continues. Women's Assemblies stand with you always!

As Istanbul Women's Assemblies, we organized a meeting for our songs, our words and our freedoms. We as women are getting stronger by uniting with each other and continue to fight against your oppression.

Ezgi's Murderer is Free for 1 Year!

One year has passed since Ezgi Zerkin's death, but her killer Deniz Özarslan has still not been caught. The government cannot and will not establish the system to find the perpetrator when women are killed whereas the same government takes immediate action against those who resist for their freedom, for their nature, for their ideas. There are Women's Assemblies against this system, which pats the killers on the back, increases the level of impunity every day and ultimately allows the perpetrators to walk among us freely. Our Izmir Women's Assembly was in the squares saying "Justice for Ezgi!" Ezgi's family and no woman will ever walk alone!

 Law No. 6284 and Its Results  

28-year-old teacher Şeyma A. was subjected to violence by Fatih V., a public prosecutor in Istanbul, on the pretext that she wanted a divorce. The prosecutor, who squeezed her throat and threatened her saying "I will kill you”, took her to the bathtub in the bathroom after she fainted as she couldn’t breathe. When she opened her eyes, the prosecutor left the house. The woman who was subjected to violence received a restraining order.

Sultan Irmak was found dead in her house on May 3, 2022, suspiciously shot in the head. Berk Tekcan, who was with Sultan Irmak, and their friends Hacı Yakup Karaca and Kadir Çeribaşı, who were detained after they were found to have left the building on the day of the incident, were detained and a lawsuit was filed for life imprisonment. The court acquitted Berk Tekcan by majority vote, Hacı Yakup Karaca and Kadir Çeribaşı by unanimous vote.

In Istanbul, a woman was beaten by a person named Şeyhmus Dağ on the street and she fainted. The suspect, who tried to drag the fainted woman into a parked minibus, was taken into custody upon the report of the bystanders. It is learned that Dağ has 11 criminal records for different crimes.

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 Istanbul, A woman was found suspiciously dead in the house, wrapped in a blanket under the bed base, where the landlord had not heard from the tenants for 15 days. While it was learned that the foreign national husband and wife and their sons lived in the house, it was claimed that the man and the child left the house about 10 days ago.

In Mersin 18-year-old Dilan Yaman was claimed to die by an accidental fire while Y.E., the man she was with, was showing her his shotgun. 

In Çanakkale 39-year-old Yeşim Demir suspiciously died by falling off a cliff while she was watching the sunset with the man she was with. 

What happened regarding women in July?

In Afghanistan, time given by Taliban to shut down beauty salons ran out. It is estimated that while the number of salons which were shut down reached to 12 thousand, more than 60 thousand women were unemployed. 

Russia has passed the bill forbidding gender transformation. It has been announced that surgery and hormone therapy cannot be performed for gender transformation, and various restrictions will be imposed on people who have already undergone gender transformation process.

In the Karaağız Neighborhood of Büyükorhan District in Bursa, the village council and association took a decision that prohibits mixed-gender enjoyment during weddings, henna nights, and military send-off events, citing it as 'inappropriate from a religious standpoint.'

Transgender individual Larin Kayataş, who had been removed from their position as a doctor at Istanbul Taksim Education and Research Hospital due to claims of systematic mobbing, harassment, and disciplinary investigations, on the grounds of 'undermining public morality,' has been reinstated.

Melisa Caymaz, a student at Uşak University, raised an LGBTIQ+ flag during her graduation ceremony and left the stage. Caymaz, who was targeted by social media and certain newspapers, revealed that she was subjected to hate speech and death threats.

The stories of the life struggles of the 25 women killed in July

In Istanbul, Güler Gökgöz was killed in front of her two children by her partner Tuncay Erol at their home, on the pretext of jealousy.

In Manisa, 52-year-old Beyhan Urhan was fatally shot in the head by her son Ozan Urhan. The perpetrator, who was threatening to kill the woman he used to be with, was apprehended in front of her house in İzmir.

In Mersin, 27-year-old Esra Asena Temir was physically assaulted and killed by Mustafa Bangiz, the man she was with.

In Ankara, 45-year-old Döndü Satılmış Ünal was murdered in a public street by her husband Akif Ünal, on the pretext of jealousy.

In Nevşehir, 29-year-old Gamze Durmuş was strangled to death by Metin Durmuş, the man she was in the process of divorcing.

In Istanbul, 39-year-old Nazlı Şahin and her mother, 57-year-old Salime Şahin, were shot and killed with a firearm by Nazlı's husband Erdal Şahin due to her wanting to divorce. Erdal Şahin's father-in-law, Mehmet Şahin, suffered a heart attack upon discovering the horrific scene when he arrived at the house.

In Batman, 37-year-old Aysel Ekici was killed by a firearm at her home by Murat Ekici, the man she was married to. 

In Karaman, 34-year-old Fatma Sema Çalışkan took her 12-year-old child and sought refuge with an acquaintance after arguing with M. M., whom she was together with. Fatma Sema Çalışkan was shot dead by M.M, after M.M learned where they were staying.

In Mardin, 45-year-old Hindirin Aydoğan was tortured at home by Zeki Aydoğan, the man she was married, when she wanted to go to her family living in the Northern and Eastern Syrian city of Qamishlo. After a while, she was shot dead. 

In Bursa, 42-year-old Semra Elmas was found suspiciously dead in the stream bed. It was revealed after the autopsy that Semra Elmas was strangled to death by the truck driver Arif Çakıroğlu.

In İzmir, 30-year-old Kübra Ö. was shot to death in the middle of the street by Mehmet Ö, the man she used to be married to. 

In Istanbul, Cahide Sevgi Arapoğlu was killed with a firearm in her home by Mustafa Kolay, the man she was with.

In Sakarya, 49-year-old Kader Akşan was shot to death in the chest and abdomen by H. E., the man she was with.

In Hatay, Zehra Aysel Çatal was shot to death by the man she used to be married to.

In Nevşehir, Zübeyde Timur and her daughter Hatice Timur were stabbed to death by Yaşar Timur, the man that she was divorced with, at the hotel where they were on vacation. It turned out that Yaşar Timur followed Zübeyde Timur and her daughter from Denmark to Turkey.

In Malatya, 22-year-old Büşra Alper was stabbed to death 30 times by Mehmet Alper, the man she was married to.

In Samsun, 43-year-old Melek Baştürk was killed by her 16-year-old son V.S.K. with a firearm in her house.

In Ankara, 26-year-old Suzan Çalık was stabbed to death due to jealousy, by Uğur Çalık, the man she was in the process of divorce. Suzan Çalık's mother said, "When they came to the village on holiday, he beat my daughter for no reason. We didn't file a complaint, thinking that things would get better between them, but unfortunately it didn't, in fact it got worse."

In Istanbul, 46-year-old Gönül Er was stabbed to death by Murat Edepli, the man she was with, in her home on the pretext that she wanted to break up with him.

In Antalya, 25-year-old Merve Girişmek was shot to death in the middle of the street by Batuhan Cambak, the man she was with.

In Manisa, 27-year-old Sultan Zencirci was killed by Ferhat Kuru at her workplace with a firearm. It was alleged that Ferhat Kuru had been dating Gül Demir and had been texting with Sultan Zencirci, so he raided the workplace where both of the women were working, and shot both women. Gül Demir was also seriously injured due to the incident.

In Çorum, 35-year-old Gülten Ataklı was killed with a firearm by Mürsel Ataklı, with whom she was in the process of divorce.

In Mersin, A.B. was killed by M.D. who had escaped from prison and had been using someone else's identity card for 3 years.