Femicide in Turkey

Femicide. Noun. “The gender-based murder of a woman or girl by a man,” according to Merriam-Webster dictionary. With the femicide in Turkey rising, it is essential to know what is happening and how to help.

As shown in the graph above, violence against women is not uncommon in Turkey. Over the years, cases have been steadily increasing. According to the Kadin Cinayetlerini Durduracagiz Platformu (We will Stop Femicides Platform), a women’s rights group, at least 474 women were killed in Turkey in 2019. With Turkey’s legal system, murderers do not receive their deserved sentences, thus normalizing violence against women. However, the murder of Pınar Gültekin sparked outrage in Turkey. Pınar Gültekin, a 27-year-old woman, was beaten and strangled to death by her former partner. Her body, burned and covered in concrete, was found in the woods of Mulga.

Since the brutal murder of Pınar Gültekin, women in Turkey have been protesting for further action. Protests include ones held by the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, which fights against women's rights violations such as the violation of the right to life. "We are carrying banners for a woman we do not know. It is enough now. We want to live," said Fidan Ataselim, the general secretary of the platform. Other than through street protests, anger over the murder was voiced through social media through the usage of hashtags such as #pinargultekin, #IstanbulSözlesmesiYasatır, and #ChallengeAccepted. Millions of people, including celebrities such as Jessica Biel and Christina Aguilera, have posted #ChallengeAccepted to voice solidarity with victims of femicides.

Approximately 42% of Turkish women aged 15-60 have experienced sexual or physical violence from their family members or partners. Instead of taking action against the abuse of women, the government is currently trying to back out on the Istanbul Convention which is the council of Europe convention to prevent and combat domestic violence. Femicides have doubled since 2012 and with lockdowns due to the pandemic, the number is expected to increase more.

Here’s how you can help!

• Follow @auturkishculturalclub on Instagram for updates in English.

• To keep the Istanbul Convention, sign Change.org petition

• Donate to a Women’s Shelter in Istanbul (@morcati_vakfi and @small.projects.istanbul)

• Check out Purple Roof Women's Shelter Organization and Click to donate

• Check out We Will Stop Femicide

Works Cited

1. https://www.elle.com/culture/career-politics/a33469766/women-supporting-women-turkish-femicide/

2. https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/turkey-femicide-protests-challenge-accepted-pinar-gultekin-izmir-a9656646.html

3. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Defining-Recent-Femicide-in-Modern-Turkey%3A-Revolt-%C3%87etin/921d100bf36d9fd4d19211877578056e228a5261?p2df

4. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/07/protests-turkey-brutal-murder-young-woman-200722102923071.html