In March 2026, 31 women were killed by men, and 33 women were found suspiciously dead.
2026 March Report*
31 Femicides and 33 Suspicious Deaths of Women in March
The fight to stop femicides in Turkey has been going on for 16 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.
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:
Data Highlights:
The reason behind 23 femicides could not be determined
This month, 31 femicides were committed, and 33 women were found suspiciously dead. One woman was killed on economic pretexts and 1 woman was killed on the pretext of trying to stop the man assaulting her mother-in-law. The reason behind 23 of the 31 femicides could not be determined.
The inability to determine the excuse behind the murder of 23 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.
Women were most often killed by the man they were married to.
Of the 31 women killed in March, 18 were killed by the man they were married to, 3 by the man they were with, 1 by her father, 1 by her son, 1 by the man she used to be married to, 3 by a relative and 1 by her student. This month, 23% of the women who were killed were killed by the man they were married to.
Women were most often killed in their homes
20 of the women were killed at their homes, 2 at their workplace, 2 in a field, 2 in a car and 1 in the middle of the street. It could not be determined where 1 woman was killed. 66% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes.
Women were most often killed with a firearm
13 of the women killed this month were killed with firearms, 9 with sharp objects, 2 by being beaten to death and 1 by being burned to death. The weapon which was used to kill 5 women could not be determined. 41% of the women killed this month were killed with firearms.
We Were in the Squares on March 8th
We were in the squares on March 8th. Both our enthusiasm and anger were running high. In many cities, we took to the streets alongside countless women; we stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder. Shouting, “It’s not a favor – it’s our right to life. We will stop femicides” we raised our voices for equality, freedom, and a life free from violence. By declaring we will stop femicides, we amplified our voices and empowered one another. We know that this struggle is not over; it will grow stronger with each passing day. We will multiply, we will strengthen our solidarity, and we will continue our struggle with determination.
When Schools Are Bombed, This is not War – It is a Crime
The escalating policies of war in the Middle East demonstrate once again that civilians – and especially women and children – suffer the gravest consequences of conflict. The expanding war along the Iran-Israel axis continues to target the lives of women and children. Wars do not only happen at the borders; they create devastation in children's schools, their homes, and their daily lives. The missile strike on a school in Iran proves that this is no longer just a ‘conflict’, but a systematic assault openly targeting the right to life of civilians.
Wherever there is bombing, the rights to life, security, health, and education are also being destroyed. Children are forced to grow up in fear, and women struggle to survive amid violence and devastation. No state policy, no military attack, no justification for war can legitimize the destruction inflicted on civilians. Where schools, homes, and living spaces are being targeted, we are no longer speaking only of war, but of crime.
The lives of women and children cannot be sacrificed for military and political calculations. It is not those who escalate the war who are in the right, but those who defend life. A ceasefire must be established immediately, civilians must be protected, and those responsible for this crime must be held accountable.
Case Developments of March
One year has passed since the mass protests that began after Istanbul mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu was detained on March 19th. İmamoğlu continues to be tried while in custody on charges of ‘corruption’ and ‘terrorism’.
The prosecution file regarding the murder of Havin Aşkan, whose case we have been following, was finalized after a year. Havin had been found dead under suspicious circumstances, and Specialist Corporal İbrahim Tektaş, the man she was married to, had claimed that she had committed suicide by hanging herself from a doorknob.
The second hearing in the case of Ayşe Tokyaz, who was murdered by former police officer Cemil Koç took place.
In 2024, Tuğba Yavaş had died under suspicious circumstances after falling from a balcony while she was at home with the man she was married to. The defendant was being tried without detention on charges of inciting another person to commit suicide. In a new development, the prosecutor requested that the defendant be tried for the crime of intentional homicide.
What happened regarding women in March?
The Italian Constitutional Court overturned a regulation allowing public hospitals in Sicily to create separate positions exclusively for doctors who perform abortions. While the ruling was based on the principle of non-discrimination, it highlighted once again that access to abortion remains a serious issue in the country.
Sexual Violence Increases, Impunity Protects the Perpetrators
Hasbi Dede, the mayor of Görele in Giresun, is being tried without detention on charges of ‘sexual abuse of a child’ for allegedly abusing 16-year-old T. T., who lost her life after being hit by a car while crossing the street.
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.
Fatma Nur Çelik and her 8-year-old daughter Hifa İkra Şengüler were found dead under suspicious circumstances. Fatma Nur had filed a lawsuit against Ayhan Şengüler, the man who had abused her as a child and then, following a forced marriage, had been abusing their daughter since the age of three.
In Istanbul, 26-year-old Mizgin Kaçar lost her life after a high dose of insulin was injected into her body. Her family filed a complaint against Osman Kaçar, the man Mizgin was married to, stating that she was not diabetic and could not have done this of her own free will. The suspect had previously been detained and released on probation.
In Balıkesir, 46-year-old Dilufraz Chulieva was found dead in an empty field while being searched for as missing. I. I., who was detained in connection with the incident, was arrested.
In Mardin, 16-year-old Zuhal Sayyar was found dead in her home with a gunshot wound. Bruises and signs of battery were detected on her body, and her brother was taken into custody.
In İzmir, 30-year-old Aylin Güler died after being severely injured and pushed from the 4th floor by Okan G., the man she was married to. Okan G. and his friend A. G. were taken into custody.
In Istanbul, 26-year-old nurse Naile İlayda Ateş died after falling from the window of a 6th floor apartment. The man she was with was taken into custody and later released.
The stories of the life struggles of the 31 women killed in March
In Aydın, 29-year-old Mizgin Karadeniz was stabbed to death by İ. E., the man she was with.
In Istanbul, it was revealed that M. M. and M. Y. were killed 10 years ago by F. Y. and Y. D., and buried in a field in Bolu. The perpetrators, who were already in prison for another murder, were arrested once again on charges of ‘premeditated murder’.
In Istanbul, 44-year-old teacher Fatma Nur Çelik was stabbed to death at school by her student, F. S. B.
In Bursa, 40-year-old Nagihan Karadeniz was shot and killed with a firearm at her workplace by H. D., the man she used to be with. The perpetrator attempted suicide after the incident.
In Istanbul, Semiha D. was shot and killed with a firearm in the middle of the street by E. D., the man she was married to and in the process of divorcing.
In Eskişehir, 50-year-old Sevim Özdemir was strangled to death by Mehmet Karabulut, the man she was married to. After the incident, the perpetrator attempted suicide by jumping from the 7th floor of his apartment.
In Adana, 48-year-old Nesrin Aladağ, mother of three, was strangled to death by Naim Aladağ, the man she was married to.
In Muğla, Şermin Bacak was stabbed to death by Ali Bacak, the man she was married to.
In Mersin, Songül Figan, mother of two, was killed in a relative’s home by Selami Aktekin, the man she was married to and in the process of divorcing. It was learned that Songül left home because she had been subjected to violence by the perpetrator. Selami Aktekin, a relative of the perpetrator, had killed his wife, Seher Aktekin, last year.
In Eskişehir, 13-year-old Zehra Üzüm, who had been missing for 10 days, was killed by her father Abdulrazak Üzüm, and buried in a hobby garden. The perpetrator committed suicide two days after the incident.
In Aydın, 76-year-old Meryem Akgün was killed after being struck on the head with a piece of wood by her son İbrahim Akgün, on the pretext of a land dispute.
In Trabzon, İrem Bostan was shot and killed with a firearm by Şenol Bostan, the man she was married to. The perpetrator committed suicide two days after the incident.
In Mersin, 27-year-old Shaimas Abdi, mother of two, was stabbed to death by Abdulmuti Abdi, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was taken into custody.
In Aksaray, 35-year-old Gamze Yıldırım was killed with a hunting rifle by Habip Emre Yıldırım, the man she was married to and in the process of divorcing. Gamze Yıldırım’s sister was also seriously injured. The perpetrator, who fled the scene, was caught.
In Bursa, 34-year-old Meryem Altaş was shot and killed with a firearm by Berat İ., the man she was with. The perpetrator, who had three prior criminal records, pointed a gun at the police after the incident and was shot during the police intervention.
In Kayseri, Gamze S. was shot and killed with a firearm by Hacı Ali S., the man she was married to. The perpetrator was caught.
In Bursa, 45-year-old Ayşe Eken was stabbed in the throat and killed by her uncle Ahmet A. The perpetrator was taken into custody.
In Istanbul, 29-year-old Semanur Algül, mother of one, was killed by H. A., the man she was married to. The perpetrator, who later set the house on fire, was taken into custody.
In Nevşehir, 36-year-old Kısmet Erdoğan, mother of two, was shot and killed with a handgun by Coşkun Erdoğan, the man she was married to. The perpetrator attempted suicide with the same weapon.
In Istanbul, it was revealed that 36-year-old Khurriyat Tursunboeva was killed in 2019 by Ersin Y., the man she was married to. After keeping Khurriyat’s body in the house for a while, the perpetrator dismembered it and threw the remains into a trash container. The perpetrator was taken into custody.
In Diyarbakır, 22-year-old Aleyna Yaray was shot in the head and killed by Cafer Başeğmez, the man she was with. The perpetrator, who had been stalking Aleyna, was taken into custody.
In Samsun, 44-year-old Nigar Arslan, mother of two, was shot and killed with a handgun by her brother-in-law Hasan Aydın. The perpetrator committed suicide with the same weapon.
In Niğde, 26-year-old Başak Zeliha Yaylacı was stabbed to death by the man she was married to and in the process of divorcing. The perpetrator was taken for medical treatment in hospital.
In Izmir, 34-year-old Havva Çubukçu, mother of two, was shot and killed with a handgun by Uğur Baycan, the man she used to be married to. The perpetrator committed suicide after the incident.
In Istanbul, Nasıra Saigi, mother of one, was beaten to death by Veli Cıngılea, the man she was living with. The perpetrator was arrested.
In Aydın, 46-year-old Hayal Alkış was killed by Serkan Vergili, the man she was with. The perpetrator was arrested.
In Hatay, 26-year-old Emel Akay, mother of two, was stabbed to death by Abdulsamet Akay, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was taken into custody.
In Diyarbakır, Özge Dülge was shot and killed with a hunting rifle by Muhsin Dülge, the man she was married to. The perpetrator was arrested.
In Manisa, 22-year-old Sariye Nur Coşkun and her 43-year-old mother Fatma Girgin were shot in the head with a hunting rifle by Ömer Coşkun, the man Sariye was married to and in the process of divorcing. The perpetrator was taken into custody. It was learned that a one-month protection order had previously been issued for Sariye Nur Coşkun.
*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”