2025 February Report* 

16 Femicides and 21 Suspicious Deaths of Women in February 

The fight to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 14 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 12 femicides could not be determined 

This month, 16 femicides were committed, and 21 women were found suspiciously dead. 3 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. A woman was murdered on the pretext of talking about her son not working. The reason behind 12 of the 16 femicides could not be determined. The inability to determine the excuse behind the murder of 12 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 16 women killed in February, 4 were killed by the man they were married to, 4 by the man they used to be married to, 3 by their son, 2 by the man they used to be with, 1 by the man she was with, 1 by her father and 1 by a relative. This month, 25% of the women who were killed were killed by the man they were married to. 

Women were mostly killed in their homes 

11 of the women were killed at their homes, 2 in the middle of the street, 1 in a deserted place, 1 at her workplace and 1 in front of a school. 69% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes. 

Women were mostly killed with firearms 

9 of the women killed this month were killed with firearms, 5 with sharp objects, 2 by strangulation. 56% of the women killed this month were killed with firearms. 

We Will Not Be Sacrificed to the Sake of the Family, We Will Live with Protection Law No. 6284 

With 2025 being declared the ‘Year of the Family’ ,attacks on women’s acquired rights have intensified. The political power seeks to place women in a secondary position within the family and increase pressure to marry and have children. One of the most concrete examples of this approach is the February 14th social media post stating, “If you love them, marry them”. In a country where women's rights are being weakened and poverty deepens day by day, the priority should be the well-being of citizens; not marriage and childbearing. 

While the problems women face within the family are ignored, the current government acts as if oblivious to this reality. Yet, data shows that many women are subjected to violence and oppression within the family. Between March 1st 2024, and March 1st 2025, 239 women were killed by male family members. Among them, 154 were killed by the men they were married to, 26 by their fathers, 22 by their sons, 27 by male relatives, and 10 by their brothers. Instead of ensuring women's safety, the state is now introducing policies like family mediation, forcing women to remain in violent environments and encouraging new generations to grow up in similar family structures. 

These policies, which sanctify the family instead of empowering women, also target young girls. The marriage and divorce statistics published by TÜİK (Turkish Statistical Institute) expose the abuse young girls face. In 2024, 9,971 girls aged 16-17 were married off to adult men. Moreover, these figures only reflect officially registered cases. We know that child marriages are widespread in our country and that many go unreported. 

The policies introduced under the ‘Year of the Family’ and the new legislative draft restrict LGBTQ+ rights and pose a direct threat to women's freedoms and the struggle for gender equality. Changes to Article 40 of the Civil Code make the gender transition process more difficult for trans individuals, while those who undergo surgery abroad face criminal penalties. The newly introduced concept of “biological sex” in the Penal Code labels LGBTQ+ identities and expressions as ‘indecent’ and criminalizes them. Same-sex engagement and marriage ceremonies are banned, and those attending such ceremonies could face imprisonment. For women, these regulations further reinforce rigid gender roles, increasing pressure on women's bodies and identities. Those advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, feminist organizations, and women’s right activists could also face legal prosecution on the grounds of ‘violating public morality’. 

We will not back down in the face of these policies attacking women’s and LGBTQ+ individuals' acquired rights. We will not sacrifice women to the family; we will continue to defend our right to live and our freedoms, starting with Protection Law No. 6284. As the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, we will continue to fight against all these attacks on our acquired rights. Together, we are stronger, and together, we can bring change! 

On March 8th at 12:00, we will gather in front of Süreyya Opera House in Kadıköy, Istanbul, chanting “We will not be sacrificed to the family, we will live with 6284!”. We are coming together for our acquired rights, our solidarity, and our struggle. Long live women, long live March 8th! 

We will also hold demonstrations in many cities on March 8. İzmir 17:30 Alsancak Pier, Ankara 17:00 Kolej Metro Station, Adana 14:00 Kasım Gülek Bridge, Samsun 16:00 Çobanlı Pier, Eskişehir 16:00 in front of the Kanatlı Shopping Center, Kayseri 15:00 Cumhuriyet Square in front of Almer, Manisa 17:00 Manolya Square, Bursa 19:00 Fomara Square. We invite all women to join us. 

Our Struggle Strengthens with Women 

Women grow stronger through solidarity we are growing together! We have organized and will continue to organize various workshops with women. Drawing strength from one another, we are determined to develop and take our struggle even further. For more information about our workshops, visit our social media pages. 

Two Years Have Passed After the Earthquake 

Two years have passed since the February earthquakes, yet significant progress has not been made in the affected regions. People impacted by the disaster continue to struggle with immense challenges. Although substantial aid was collected in the aftermath, there has been no transparent disclosure regarding how these funds were spent. The people in the earthquake zone have been forgotten and the government avoids fulfilling its responsibilities. Necessary steps must be taken to improve living conditions for those affected by the disaster! 

Case Developments of February 

In the case of Havva Altınöz, who was murdered by Saygın Altınöz, the man she was in the process of divorcing, despite a Protection Law No. 6284 decision, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without any reduction for ‘premeditated intentional murder’. 

In the case of Nuran Özcan, who was murdered by Ahmet Fırat, the man she was married to, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment without any reduction for ‘intentional murder against a spouse and a woman’. We are following the process to add the charge of ‘murder with monstrous intent’ to the sentence. 

In the case of Gönül Er, who was killed by Murat Edepli, the man she was with, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for ‘intentional murder against a woman’. 

Our member, Emine Gizem Çetiner, who has been on vigil against child abuse for months, is now facing charges for exposing the child abuse perpetrator and allegedly violating personal data laws. 

What happened regarding women in February? 

In Ankara, Ülker Güleryüz, known as Necla Teyze, died in a fire along with her dogs, hours after the Altındağ Municipality took her chipped dogs from her and she was targeted on social media. 

The executive editor of KaosGl Yıldız Tar, and several journalists working on LGBTQ+ rights were arrested during an operation carried out against the Peoples’ Democratic Congress. 

In Istanbul, female workers at HepsiJet started a resistance after facing poor working conditions, mobbing, and sexual harassment. The resisting female workers will never walk alone! 

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 Elazığ, 26-year-old Ezgi Nur Bağca was found dead in the apartment where she was staying, with cuts on her body. 

In Diyarbakır, 35-year-old Semra M., mother of two and seven months pregnant, was found dead in her home. E. M., the man she was married to, was taken into custody. 

In Adana, 21-year-old Fatma Kocaklı was found shot dead with a shotgun in her house. Mikail B., the man she was living with in an unofficial religious matrimony, was taken into custody. 

In Şanlıurfa, 30-year-old Gülcan Ağırtaş, mother of two, was found critically injured with a gunshot wound to the head. After three days of fighting for her life, she passed away. M.E.T. and F.G. were arrested following the incident. 

In Ordu, 37-year-old Pınar Akıncı, who had been missing for three days, was found dead in a stream bed. 

The stories of the life struggles of the 16 women killed in February 

In Sakarya, 62-year-old Behiye Taşkın was shot dead with a shotgun by her son Kadir Taşkın. The perpetrator was arrested. 

In Tekirdağ, 13-year-old Su Dilem Yazıcı was strangled to death by her father Amir Yazıcı. Before killing his daughter, the perpetrator posted on his social media account, blaming the woman he used to be married to, stating, “G.U. is responsible for our deaths”. After killing Su Dilem, the perpetrator attempted suicide. 

In Istanbul, 33-year-old Sibel Güler, mother of three, was strangled to death in her house by Sercan Güler, the man she was married to. 

In Nevşehir, 26-year-old Servet Nur Şahin was shot dead with a firearm in the middle of the street by Emre Yağar, the man she used to be married to, under the pretext that she did not allow him to see their children. 

In Konya, 35-year-old Dilek Şen, mother of two, was stabbed to death multiple times by Barış E., the man she was with. 

In Afyon, Hatice Çevik was stabbed to death by her son Oğuzhan G. 

In Nevşehir, 21-year-old Beyza Akdoğan was shot dead with a shotgun by Mustafa Baltaş, the man she used to be with. The perpetrator then committed suicide with the same weapon. 

In Muş, 40-year-old Aynur İsi, mother of seven, was shot dead six times with a firearm by İhsan İsi, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was caught in Erzurum trying to flee. 

In Ankara, 39-year-old Selma Yalçın, mother of two, was stabbed to death multiple times by İsmail Kara, the man she had divorced one week earlier. It was learned that the perpetrator had a gambling addiction and had previously subjected Selma Yalçın to violence. 

In Izmir, 34-year-old Fatma Şentürk was stabbed to death by M. Ş., the man she was in the process of divorcing. It was learned that Fatma Şentürk had been subjected to violence by the perpetrator multiple times and had obtained a restraining order against him. 

In Gaziantep, 23-year-old Ruha Dabul was shot dead with a firearm by Muhammed El Hüseyin, the man she was married to. It was learned that the perpetrator had multiple criminal records. 

In Karabük, 29-year-old Leeqa Azimi was shot dead, along with her husband, by Norooz Ahmadi, the brother of her husband. The perpetrator was caught while attempting to flee. 

In Gaziantep, 38-year-old Nejla Özbiber, mother of three, died after her throat was slit by Mahmut Kürkçü, the man she used to be married to. 

In Diyarbakır, 70-year-old Fener Ateş was shot dead with a firearm, along with her husband, by her son Mahsum Ateş. 

In Istanbul, 45-year-old Seher Güzide was shot dead with a firearm in front of her workplace by İzzet Alver, the man she used to be with, after an argument. The perpetrator then attempted suicide with the same weapon. 

In Kayseri, 31-year-old Buket K. was shot dead with a firearm in front of the school where she went to pick up her children by Ramazan Ç., the man she used to be married to. The perpetrator then committed suicide. 

*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 individuals of the female gender, from embryo to fetus, infant to child, 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”