2025 June Report* 

4 years have passed since the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on July 1, 2021. In these past 4 years, it has become visible with our data how vital the Istanbul Convention was for women. In June, there were 15 femicides and 26 suspicious deaths of women. In the period following the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, when we look at the first 6 months of each year, we see that the number of femicides has increased. In 2021 131, in 2022 164, in 2023 147, in 2024 205 and in 2025 136 women were murdered in the first 6 months. 

The political authorities have declared 2025 the ‘Year of the Family’. Moreover, they are framing this merely as a symbolic year; there is a broad policy agenda extending over the next decade. However, rather than producing comprehensive solutions to social problems, this agenda focuses on imposing new responsibilities on women through the family. 

While deepening poverty, serious inequalities in access to basic rights, and the weakening of social support mechanisms are obvious, the government's is shifting its focus toward policies that push women back into childbearing, caregiving, and the domestic sphere, contradicting social reality and failing to produce solutions. 

These policies that encourage fertility ignore women's economic independence, life choices, and body autonomy. A strong society can only be built under conditions where women are free, children grow up safely, and individuals can access their rights as equal citizens. 

Right now, women are most often killed by their 'closest relatives’. As We Will Stop Femicides Platform, we can clearly see this in the data we have been collecting for many years. In the first 6 months of 2025, 96 women were killed by a male family member. In a country where millions of people are deprived of their right to life, housing, livelihood, and protection, this approach which centers the family but disregards the rights of the individual seeks to cover up the problem rather than solve it. 

Without equality, there can neither be a strong family nor a hopeful future. The real need is for a transformation that prioritizes gender equality and social justice. 

Women were mostly killed in their homes 

Policies implemented under the name of the 'Year of the Family’ serve to legitimize the gradual withdrawal of women from public life, define them primarily by their domestic roles, and place nearly the entire burden of caregiving on their shoulders. Women are being repeatedly and insistently called back home; but behind this call lies not equality, but control and domination. 

Home is not a safe space for women; it has often become an invisible arena of violence. According to our data, in the first 6 months of 2025, women were mostly killed in their own homes. The places where they should feel safe have become the very spaces where they lose their lives. 

Any discourse that defines women solely by the home is a threat to their freedom, labor, and right to life. This system, which allocates the public sphere to men and the private sphere to women, does not produce equality but violence. 

The path to equality lies not in keeping women at home, but in empowering them in all areas of life. 

Women are not alone when they are killed. 

Women are often accompanied by their children, mothers, siblings or friends, and they too are targeted. They are either killed or seriously injured. Patriarchal violence does not stop at silencing women; it also punishes those who reach out to them, bear witness to the violence and stand with them. In the first 6 months of 2025, 35 people were either killed or injured during a femicide. 

As the economic crisis deepens, male violence also changes form. 

In recent years, ‘economic problems’ have been increasingly put forward as an excuse for femicides. However, the issue is not just financial; it is an effort to control, silence, and punish women. In the first 6 months of 2025, 10% of women were killed on economic pretexts. Last year, this rate was 6%, for the same period. The patriarchal system uses the crisis to legitimize men's domination over women. Women become the targets of both poverty and the violence that uses poverty as an excuse. 

Law on Execution of Sentences: Impunity policies continue to protect perpetrators. 

As part of the 10th Judicial Package, the amnesty regulations were brought to the agenda once again to open the door to perpetrators of violence. Men who threaten women's right to life are being released despite their past crimes; these individuals, whose criminal records are filled with a history of violence, often target women when they regain their freedom. Today, many women in Turkey are killed by men who have previously committed crimes, served time or been subjected to restraining orders. 

According to our data, in the first 6 months of 2025, 15 women were killed by men with criminal records. Amnesty regulations do not ensure women's safety; on the contrary, they provide new opportunities for perpetrators. The scales of justice work not for the safety of women, but for male violence. 

We conceptualization of femicide as 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. In the first 6 months of this year, 26 women who were murdered were younger than 25. 

Women were mostly killed with firearms 

In the first 6 months of 2025, 78 women were killed with firearms, 36 with sharp objects, 11 by strangulation, 6 by being beaten to death, and 3 by being burned to death. The weapon which was used to kill 2 women could not be determined. 

In the first 6 months of 2025, 9 women who were killed had protection orders at the time of their deaths. These orders, issued and enforced by the state, are a lifeline for women. However, 9 women were killed because these protection orders were not enforced. The protective order status of the 123 women who were murdered could not be determined. This situation indicates that there are obstacles in women's access to institutions where they can obtain these orders. 

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 not included in the labor force in the first quarter of the year (January-February-March) was 31 million 283 thousand. The number of women absent from the labor force due to their domestic labor was 6 million 345 thousand. 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 we could access, in the first 6 months of 2025, 16 of the women killed were employed, and 3 were unemployed. 

According to the data we could access, 65 of the 136 women killed in the first 6 months of 2025 had children and 2 of them were pregnant. Whether 58 women had children or not, could not be identified. 

According to the data we could access, 62 of the 136 women killed in the first 6 months of 2025 were married and 31 were single. The marital status of 43 women could not be determined. 

We Will Not Allow the Will of the People to be Usurped! 

A mayor elected by the people’s votes is being deprived of his freedom. This situation is not only a punishment for Ekrem İmamoğlu, but also for the millions of people who went to the polls to express their will. In a system where elected officials are sent to prison, there can be no talk of democracy. The government is making its intention to establish a regime without opposition increasingly clear with every step it takes. In a country where elected representatives are imprisoned, freedom ceases to be a right and becomes a limited privilege. When the rule of law is suspended, society’s sense of living together and in security is undermined and their sense of justice is severely damaged. The meaning of the ballot box is erased, and elections become nothing more than a formality. However, a future built on the will of the people cannot be obstructed by oppression and unlawful practices. 

And we know this: we will not give up, we will not bow down, we will not kneel. Because this struggle is not just for one person; it is for this country’s democracy, law and shared future. 

Many of our friends who have spoken out and shown solidarity in this struggle have been detained during demonstrations and subjected to police violence and torture. This treatment given to citizens exercising their constitutional rights not only exposes lawlessness but also the fear of those in power. We will not be intimidated. We will continue to voice our demands for justice and freedom under all circumstances. 

There are millions in this country who want to walk freely in the streets, speak equally in its squares and decide their future together through their vote. We are the voice and the conscience of those millions. We will continue to defend the will of the people against those who try to seize our future. For we know that justice will one day be needed by everyone, and democracy is not just for the elected few, but for all of us. 

What happened regarding women in June? 

During the Pride March in Istanbul, 53 people were detained due to police intervention. 3 were arrested by the court. 

More than 50 people who wanted to make a press statement as part of the Trans Pride March in Istanbul were detained. The governor also closed Taksim and Şişhane metro stations. 

An investigation was launched against the staff of Leman magazine for a cartoon in the June 26 issue. Pro-sharia protests were organized in front of the magazine's building. 

Sexual Violence Increases, Impunity Protects Perpetrators 

At Burdur State Hospital, 15-year-old B. Ş., who entered the restroom for give urine analysis, was abused by hospital staff member H. Y. who secretly took her photo under the door. The attacker, against whom a complaint was filed, was arrested and sent to prison. 

In Antalya Korkuteli, 17-year-old Ü. A. was sexually abused by several people from the village. Her 70-year-old uncle Mehmet C., who allegedly started the chain of abuse, was arrested. Investigations were initiated against 6 people. 

It was revealed that 15-year-old F. Ç. was sexually abused by school bus driver A. K. 2 years ago in Gazipaşa, Antalya. A lawsuit was filed against the attacker for ‘qualified sexual abuse of a child in a chain’. The lawyer of F. Ç.'s family said that they were under pressure to drop the complaint. 

Case Developments of June 

Mohammad Nizar Arbaneh, who stabbed Anastasiia Emelianova to death in Erzurum and was charged with ‘intentional murder against a woman’, was acquitted on the grounds of ‘insufficient evidence’. It was learned that in the trial, the perpetrator denied the statements he made to the police where he confessed to the murder. 

In the case against Erol G., who shot and wounded Büşra G. who wanted to break up with him in Bursa in 2023, it was decided the defendant be released on the grounds that he shot towards the ground and it was a case of intentional injury, not attempted murder. 

In the case against Mürsel Ataklı who murdered Gülten Ataklı, the woman he was married to, in Çorum last year, although the defendant did not show any remorse or good behavior, he was given an unjustified sentence reduction. It was learned that while aggravated life imprisonment for ‘intentional killing of a wife’ was demanded, the perpetrator was sentenced to 24 years in prison. 

In the case against N. B. who stabbed Semra Kocaman to death in Aydın, the perpetrator was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for ‘causing the death of a woman by facilitating the commission of a crime by design’. 

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. 

33-year-old Düriye Çiğdem Keklik, whose lifeless body was found in her house in Antalya in February, was allegedly shot with a rifle by Hüsamettin Keklik, the man she was married, and tried to make it look like suicide. 

In Gaziantep, 38-year-old Emel Akbaş, two months pregnant, died after falling from her 3rd floor apartment. It was revealed that Emel's last message was “I will divorce you”. The family applied for an investigation to be opened on the grounds that Emel and M. Ş. B., the man she was married to, had been experiencing ‘severe incompatibility’ and Emel had previously gotten a restraining order against him. 

In Trabzon, 23-year-old Yeşim Yılmaz was found dead about two kilometers away from her home. The Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into Yeşim's death. 

In Bilecik, Sibel Güneş was found dead in her house. The police officers could not reach İbrahim Güneş, the man she was married to, and started a search for the suspect. 

The stories of the life struggles of the 15 women killed in June 

In Sakarya, 48-year-old Emir Kocasoy was shot six times with a firearm and killed by R. D., the man she used to be married to. It was learned that Emir was killed while travelling from Zonguldak to Sakarya to visit her child during the holiday. 

In Adana, 44-year-old Zukaa Mahmoud was stabbed to death in her throat and various parts of her body by her 24-year-old son Ali B. at the restaurant where she worked. 

In Izmir, 70-year-old Şerife Erdal was shot dead with a firearm by Mehmet Ömer Erdal, the man she was married. The perpetrator then committed suicide with the same weapon. 

In Hatay, 45-year-old Feryal İşçimen and her 12-year-old daughter İrem İşçimen were shot dead with a shotgun by Hasan İşçimen. 

In Bursa, 53-year-old Hatice Canbolat was shot in the head with a firearm by Murat Canbolat, the man she was married to. The perpetrator then committed suicide with the same weapon. 

In Tokat, Saliha Çelik was shot dead with a firearm by her relative Halim Çelik under the pretext of inheritance. 

In Adana, 53-year-old Müyesser Kızıloluk was robbed and shot with a firearm by her neighbor Mustafa Kaan Ergen on December 22. Müyesser lost her life six months later.  

Elena Beyder Usluca had been missing in Antalya since 2018. This June, it was revealed that Elena had been beaten to death by M. E. U., the man she was married to, and buried in a forest. The perpetrator was arrested, while his brother, R. U., who had helped him, was released on bail. 

In Şırnak, 29-year-old Gülizar Yıldız was stabbed to death by her co-worker Remzi Kayaalp. The perpetrator was arrested. 

In Şanlıurfa, 20-year-old Yaprak Türk was shot dead with a firearm by Ömer Kilimci, the man she was with. The perpetrator also seriously injured Yaprak's mother and two siblings. The perpetrator fled the scene and later committed suicide. 

In Istanbul, 18-year-old Oya Budak was shot dead with a firearm by Samet T., the man she used to be with. Oya was five and a half months pregnant after being sexually assaulted by Anıl Ö., the man she used to be with. The perpetrator Samet T. was taken into custody. Anıl Ö. was arrested. 

In Istanbul, 61-year-old Hüsniye Metin was shot dead with a firearm by Mustafa Gül, the man she was with. The perpetrator had been threatening Hüsniye for a long time and she had filed a complaint against him because of this. The perpetrator committed suicide after the incident. 

In Adana, 33-year-old Sebahat Atabey was stabbed to death by Eyüp Atabey, the brother of the man she was married. The perpetrator was arrested. 

In Adıyaman, 69-year-old Leyla Dolaş was shot dead with a firearm by Ahmet Dolaş, the man she was married. The perpetrator was taken into custody. 

*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”