Turkish authorities on Tuesday morning detained six people, including a former police chief, in connection with the murder of a 21-year-old woman in Istanbul, Turkish media reported.
The body of Ayşe Tokyaz was found stuffed in a suitcase abandoned by the roadside on July 13. Her boyfriend, former police chief Cemil Koç, was accused of killing the young woman, while five others were detained for allegedly helping him dispose of the body and later cleaning up the murder scene.
The young woman had come to Istanbul from the southeastern province of Hatay to attend university.
According to her sister, Esra Tokyaz, Ayşe had been subjected to domestic violence by her Koç, who was fired from the police force in 2024 and has a criminal record. In the days leading up to her death, Koç had locked Ayşe in a house, and her sister was desperately trying to find a way to rescue her.
In the final days before her body was found, Esra Tokyaz made repeated attempts to help her sister escape the dangerous situation. During their last conversation, Ayşe warned her sister about the danger they both faced.
“The last time we spoke, my sister warned me that if I came looking for her, I’d be in danger too,” said Esra Tokyaz. “She said she was trying to find a way to escape from the house.”
When Esra stopped hearing from her sister, she called the police and told them something was seriously wrong. Officers arrived at the house but refused to investigate, despite being told that Ayşe was a victim of domestic violence and in immediate danger.
“They told me I should not have called them, and that if I had a complaint I should go to the police station,” Esra said.
Determined to help her sister, Esra went to the local police station to file an official complaint against Cemil Koç. There, she discovered that some of the officers were acquaintances of Koç. The following day, Koç called her directly, read her statement back to her line by line and told her that nothing would happen to him.
Shortly after that conversation, Esra received the devastating news of her sister’s death.
Following the discovery of her sister’s body, Esra Tokyaz took to social media to demand justice for her sister. Addressing the Hatay Bar Association, located in their hometown, she said: “It is our collective duty to demand justice for the lifeless body found in that suitcase. We call on all lawyers to mobilize for this case. This case cannot be abandoned. Hatay Bar Association, raise your voice and show the power of the law for Ayşe.”
The brutal murder sparked widespread outrage among women’s rights advocates, who expressed deep sorrow over the police’s dismissal of pleas for help. A hashtag campaign, #AyşeTokyazIçinAdalet (Justice for Ayşe Tokyaz), was launched on social media platform X.
“Ayşe Tokyaz was 21 years old. She had come to Istanbul from Hatay to attend university. According to reports, she was subjected to systematic violence and threats by former police officer Cemil Koç. Her sister, who witnessed the abuse and threats Ayşe faced, repeatedly sought help from law enforcement, but no one responded,” wrote one social media user.
The We Will Stop Femicide Platform (KCDP) issued a statement saying, “Ayşe Tokyaz turned to state institutions for help, asked for protection, and tried to make her voice heard. But those whose duty it was to protect her remained silent once again and she was killed by a former police officer. This murder was committed in plain sight. Not only the perpetrator, Cemil Koç, but everyone who failed to stop him must be held accountable.”
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.
Despite opposition from the international community and women’s rights groups, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 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 the signature of member countries of the Council of Europe in 2011.
Women’s rights advocates have repeatedly called on authorities to take effective measures against femicide, especially effectively implementing Law No. 6284, which aims to protect women against violence.
