At least 296 women in Turkey have been murdered by men to date in 2022 despite the government’s claim that the number of femicides in the country is trending downward, according to research conducted by the Bianet news website.
Sixteen of the women were killed in November alone. In 2022, 715 women were victims of domestic violence, and 17 female refugees who had fled to Turkey were murdered.
According to the research, 218 of the women were killed by their husbands or lovers. Additionally, 189 died at home and 88 were murdered on the street.
Femicides and violence against women are serious problems in Turkey, where women are killed, raped or beaten every day. 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 President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sparked outrage in Turkey and the international community after he issued a decree in March 2021 that pulled the country out of an international treaty 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 signature of member countries of the Council of Europe in 2011.
