Twenty-four women were murdered by men in Turkey in March, and 32 more died under suspicious circumstances, the Bianet news website reported.
At least 14 women were killed by ex-partners, while two were murdered in fits of jealousy. Furthermore, most victims were slain over their decisions concerning their own lives, such as asking for a divorce, rejecting reconciliation with a romantic partner and rejecting a marriage proposal or a romantic relationship.
In addition to femicide, 43 women reported being subject to physical violence, while 51 were forced into prostitution. A total of 15 boys and girls were reportedly sexually harassed.
Media reports revealed that in most cases of domestic violence and sexual harassment, the perpetrator walked free. Likewise, out of 24 femicide incidents, only six perpetrators were arrested, while six others died by suicide.
Despite the grim numbers, women’s rights organizations have worked hard to monitor gender-based violence and femicide cases. Several organizations organized demonstrations to commemorate International Women’s Day, despite facing police intervention.
Femicides and violence against women are chronic problems in Turkey, where women are killed, raped or beaten almost every day.
According to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, at least 315 women were murdered by men and 248 women died under suspicious circumstances throughout 2023.
Many critics say the main reason behind the situation is the policies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, which protects violent and abusive men by granting them impunity.
Turkish courts have repeatedly drawn criticism due to their tendency to hand down lenient sentences to offenders, claiming that the crime was “motivated by passion” or by interpreting victims’ silence as consent.
In a move that attracted national and international outrage, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan through a presidential decree pulled the country out of an international treaty in March 2021 that requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence and similar abuse as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation.
The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, is an international accord designed to protect women’s rights and prevent domestic violence in societies and was opened to the signature of Council of Europe member countries in 2011.
Erdoğan’s allies have been calling for further rollbacks, urging the repeal of a domestic law that stipulates protection mechanisms for women who either have suffered or are at risk of suffering violence.
