2025 March Report* 

18 Femicides and 30 Suspicious Deaths of Women in March 

The fight to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 15 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 8 femicides could not be determined 

This month, 18 femicides were committed, and 30 women were found suspiciously dead. 4 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, 5 women were killed on economic pretexts, and 1 woman was killed trying to protect her daughter. The reason behind 8 of the 18 femicides could not be determined. The inability to determine the excuse behind the murder of 8 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 March, by city: 

By whom were the women killed? 

Of the 18 women killed in March, 8 were killed by the man they were married to, 3 by the man they used to be with, 2 by the man they used to be married to, 2 by their father, 1 by an acquaintance and 1 by a relative. The relation of the perpetrator could not be determined for 1 woman. This month, 44% of the women who were killed were killed by the man they were married to. 

Women were mostly killed in their homes 

15 of the women were killed at their homes and 2 in the middle of the street. It could not be determined where 1 woman were killed. 83% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes. 

Women were mostly killed with firearms 

12 of the women killed this month were killed with firearms, 4 with sharp objects, 1 by strangulation and 1 by being beaten to death. 67% of the women killed this month were killed with firearms. 

Istanbul is Ours, the Squares are Ours! We Won't Let Them Usurp Our Will! 

Today, a resistance against injustice and lawlessness is rising all over Turkey. Systematic political operations against elected mayors are coupled with open blows to the democratic will of the people. Citizens are taking to the streets in peaceful protests against the removal of their elected representatives and the appointment of government trustees in their place. Yet every time, these legitimate and constitutional reactions are met with disproportionate police violence, detentions and repression. What we are facing now is not just a case of lawlessness; it is the manifestation of an institutionalized regime of repression that seeks to intimidate the entire society. 

In the past few days, thousands of citizens who took to the streets in defense of their right to vote have faced heavy state repression. Around 1,900 people have been detained so far, 301 of whom have been arrested. In Istanbul alone, between March 21-24, 447 people were detained, 20 of whom were children. Strip searches and physical abuse of detained women were recorded in official statements. Members of the press, students, women and dissident citizens were detained and arrested. This picture reveals how widespread the systematic oppression of citizens exercising their constitutional rights has become. The issue is no longer merely about individual victimization, but the attempt to silence the people. 

While women are murdered, sexually harassed and not protected despite repeated complaints, and restraining orders are not enforced, the security forces, who claim to be 'under resourced', suddenly show up with extraordinary efficiency when it comes to citizens exercising their constitutional rights. The barricades set up, and rubber bullets, pepper spray and rear handcuffs used against students, women and the public during peaceful demonstrations clearly reveal who security policies serve in this country. The security forces that fail to protect women prove to be highly successful when it comes to silencing the people. This contradiction is not just negligence, but a deliberate choice. And we do not accept this choice. 

While the Hezbollah member who tortured Konca Kuriş for days was pardoned by the President himself, many young people who were only exercising their democratic rights and raising their voices peacefully are still under arrest. When it comes to crimes against women, the perpetrators are either the subject of forgiveness or systematically ignored. But even the smallest objection to the government is harshly suppressed. This is not just a double standard; it is a deep decay that calls into question when and for whom justice works. 

Rights and freedoms have been systematically undermined in Turkey for years. With the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, women’s right to life had been openly threatened, while years of struggle for women’s human rights tried to be ignored and suppressed. Now, new attacks on the right to vote and democratic will are being added to these unlawful acts. The impunity, silencing policies and neglect that women have experienced in their search for justice have now spread to the whole society. This is not a coincidence, this is a continuity. This regime of oppression that descends on all those who seek their rights in Turkey have the same root: an authoritarian system of domination that seeks to silence the voices of the people. We do not and will not get used to this order. 

What happened today is neither the first nor an isolated incident. While the hijacking of the will of the voters has become almost routine for years, especially in the eastern provinces, the antidemocratic practices in Istanbul, which first started with the municipalities of Esenyurt and Beşiktaş, have now turned into a threat to all citizens. The political moves against Şişli Municipality and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality are the last link in this chain.  

In Turkey, it is not only the streets but also digital spaces that are being silenced. We Will Stop Femicide Platform's X (Twitter) account was blocked. The number of women's organization accounts blocked in the last week reached 12. Citizens are now targeted for taking to the streets, speaking out, organizing and even raising their voices in digital spaces. 

On March 8, We were in the Squares 

We were on the streets for our rights, our lives and our equality. But once again, we were faced with state violence. 136 women and LGBTIQ+ were detained during the demonstrations in Kadıköy and Cihangir in Istanbul. Our constitutional right to demonstrate tried to be prevented. And before we even returned to our homes, 5 women were murdered in just two days. According to the data of our We Will Stop Femicide Platform, all of these murders were committed by the men closest to the women. Those who send celebratory messages every March 8, once again watched women being murdered on March 9. 

We are here. We will continue to speak the truth, be on the streets, to demand accountability. In this country, women and young people who take to the streets are being detained, those who exercise their constitutional rights are declared criminals. Yet, everyday, another woman is killed. Stop the killers, not the women! 

Sexual Violence Increases, Impunity Protects Perpetrators 

In Eskişehir, İshak Yıldırım, a mufti (governmental religious officer) who abused a 12-year-old girl by sending messages to her, was released at the first hearing after claiming in his defense that “My wife sent the messages, not me”. 

In Ankara, after 19-year-old E. G. was harassed by a 64-year-old man M. E., she apprehended the perpetrator herself, asked bystanders to call the police and handed M. E. over to the police. 

In Bolu, S. İ., who sexually abused her 14-year-old daughter, was sentenced to 30 years in prison under the charge of ‘sexual abuse of children’. 

Case Developments of March 

In the case of Sezgi Ş., who was sexually abused by her stepfather, the judge ruled for the acquittal of the defendant despite the prosecutor's demand for a sentence on charges of ‘aggravated sexual abuse’. 

In the case of Hülya Şevvalcı, who was murdered in a premediated attack in Izmir by the man she was married to, the higher court upheld the sentence without any reduction. 

In the case of Buse Ateş, who was beaten to death by the man she was married to in Tekirdağ, despite the prosecutor's request for a sentence for ‘intentional killing’, the perpetrator was sentenced to 16 years in prison for 'killing by exceeding the limit of intent’. 

In İzmir, Ümit Şentürk, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the murder of Funda Gülmez 8 years ago and who had escaped from prison last year, was caught in Bergama. 

What happened regarding women in March? 

A group of male İBDA-C (Great Eastern Islamic Raiders’ Front) members gathered in front of Şehzadebaşı Mosque in opposition to the protests in Saraçhane Square and tried to attack female students in the girls' dormitory near the mosque. Police officers tried to prevent them by saying “Friends, don't do it”. 

It was revealed that in month, more than 100 Alawite women were kidnapped, murdered or sexually assaulted in Syria within 3 days. The fate of the women who have been kidnapped is unknown. Alawite women in Syria will never walk alone! 

In Italy, life imprisonment will become the standard sentence for femicide. According to the draft law, femicide will be recognised as a separate crime in the legal system. 

In Konya, a group calling themselves ‘National Forces Movement’ distributed leaflets in the streets which urged women who do not wear a headscarf to ‘cover up’. The leaflets stated that dressing ‘immodestly’ is a sin and that men may be sexually aroused by such appearances. 

In Iran, it was reported that the government will amend the compulsory headscarf law and submit the changes to the parliament. Meanwhile, it was announced that the current law has been suspended. 

In Bursa, a man attempted to set Vildan H., with whom he had an unofficial religious matrimony, on fire by pouring gasoline on her following an argument. It was learned that Vildan had separated from the perpetrator 15-20 days ago. 

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 Muğla, Ayşegül Özer, mother of three, was shot dead with a firearm in her home. 

In Sakarya, 20-year-old and pregnant Habeed Abed Abed died after suspiciously from falling from a height. The man she was married to and two others were taken into custody. 

In Ankara, 31-year-old Şeyma Gökçe Kayahan died after suspiciously falling from the 14th floor of her apartment building. The fingerprints of Hüseyin Uyucu, the man she was with, were found on the window from which she fell. 

In Aydın, Meltem Menteşeli, mother of four, was found shot dead with a firearm next to a car belonging to R. M., the man she was married to. R. M. and four others were taken into custody. 

In Ankara, 6-year-old Fatma Elmuhammed was found dead next to an abandoned building. Her father stated that her clothes had been removed and her body might have been dragged from another location. 

In Aydın, 24-year-old university student Büşra Cin was found shot dead in the chest in the home of Özcan Korkmaz, the man she was with. 

The stories of the life struggles of the 18 women killed in March 

In Istanbul, 35-year-old Fikriye Alıcı, mother of three, was shot dead with a firearm by Velican Alıcı, the man she was married to. The perpetrator also killed their 7-year-old daughter Rüya Alıcı and their two sons while they were sleeping. The perpetrator committed suicide after the incident. 

In Antalya, 26-year-old nurse Sevcan Demir Sakman was killed with a sharp object by Halit Can Sakman, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was arrested. 

In Istanbul, 38-year-old Gülnur Akalın, mother of two, was killed with a sharp object by Tuncer Batmaz, the man she used to be married to. The perpetrator committed suicide after the incident. 

In Tekirdağ, 63-year-old Halime Avşar was strangled to death by Halil Avşar, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was arrested. 

In Konya, 42-year-old Havva Adıyaman was shot dead with a firearm by Yusuf Adıyaman, the man she was in the process of divorce. The perpetrator committed suicide with the same weapon. 

In Izmir, 27-year-old Fatma Kara was beaten to death in the middle of the street by O. G., the man she was with. It was learned that Fatma had previously gotten a restraining order against the perpetrator and the court process for a new one was ongoing. 

In Çorum, 80-year-old Hatice Kış was stabbed 8 times and her house was set on fire, on economic pretexts, by Murat Arıkan, the man who lived with her sister. 

In Karaman, 34-year-old Hatice Göktaş was shot dead with a shotgun by A. Y., the man she used to be with. 

In Aydın, 45-year-old Sabriye Türköz was shot dead with a firearm by Ali Murat Akkuş, the man she used to be with. It was learned that Sabriye had previously been subjected to violence by the perpetrator and had a restraining order against him. 

In Samsun, 60-year-old Fikriye Turgut was murdered by the people who broke into her house, slit her throat and set her body on fire. Two men, Mümin U. and Şuayip U., were arrested. 

In Mersin, 45-year-old Sevcan Yıldız, mother of four, was shot dead with a firearm by Uğurcan Yıldız, the man she was married to. 

In Şırnak, 49-year-old Nesibe Ergül, mother of six, was shot dead with a firearm by Abdulkerim Ergül, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was captured in the village where he was hiding. 

In Kütahya, 61-year-old Havva Yeni was shot dead with a firearm by Ali Osman Yeni, the man she was married to, on the pretext that she had a relationship with another man. 

In Istanbul, 32-year-old Damla Bakiler, mother of one, was shot dead with a firearm by Haydar Duman, the man she used to be married to, on the pretext that she got engaged. The perpetrator went to the house where Damla lived with her family and also shot dead Damla’s 51-year-old mother Nazan Deniz Bakiler and injured her sister and grandmother. 

In Diyarbakır, 32-year-old Sultan Uçakan, mother of two, was shot dead with a shotgun by her father Faik Uçakan, on the pretext that she wanted to live separately from the family. 

In Diyarbakır, 37-year-old Dilan Aslan was shot dead with a firearm by M. Aslan, the man she was married to. 

*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”