The rate of femicide increases day by day in Turkey. Why are women saying, “I don’t want to die” not protected? Are there women’s shelters for women? Why does the state not fulfill its responsibilities? Why are women’s shelters not opened despite the laws?

News Center- 300 hundred women were killed by men in Turkey in 2020. The death of 171 women was recorded as suspicious deaths, according to press outlets. Only 23 women could obtain protection orders.

There is no formal system to show the rate of femicide in Turkey. “336 women lost their lives in 2019, 266 women in 2020,” said Turkey’s Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu despite the reports published by women’s organizations.

Data is not updated

About 1,000 women obtained protection orders against male violence in 2019, said Istanbul Bar Association. 94 women applied and obtained protection orders in the last five years in Turkey, according to information shared by Turkey’s Interior Ministry in 2019. However, instead of consistent policies that put women in the forefront and prioritize women's demands, we still hear the statements for condolence.

Why are women not protected?

There are thousands of alternatives to protect women, while discussions on how and in what way these alternatives can be put into life to protect women are going on, surely the main goal is to create non-violent living spaces for women as free individuals. But the basis of the women's policies of the state is a perspective that does not recognize the equality and devalues women outside of the family. For this reason, there is a discussion on women’s shelters, a way to protect women against male violence. Why aren’t there enough women’s shelters in Turkey? Are women staying in shelters really safe?

Only 145 women’s shelters in Turkey

There are 100 women’s shelters affiliated with General Directorate on the Status of Women, 33 women’s shelters affiliated to municipalities, one women’s shelter affiliated to the Directorate General of Migration Management and one women’s shelter of Mor Çatı, a women’s organization and there are 145 women’s shelters in total, according to Turkey’s Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services. The capacity of these shelters is only 3, 482. And these figures are far from the reality of violence against women in Turkey.

State-appointed mayors close women’s shelters

On September 11, 2016, the Turkish state-appointed trustees to 86 municipalities held by Democratic Regions Party (DBP). The state-appointed trustees suspended the activities of 52 women’s organizations affiliated with the municipalities. Women's Policies Departments, women's directorates, and women’s shelters were closed down. The women’s shelter of Akdeniz Municipalities was turned into a nursing house. İŞTAR Women's Consultation Center was closed by the trustee on the ground that “you do not have authorization.” Meya Women’s Center of Diyarbakır’s Silvan Municipality was turned into a "family support center. The women’s shelter opened by Van Metropolitan Municipality was closed by the trustee. Van Municipality’s “Violence Hotline” providing psychological and social support to women was also taken out of service. The Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) won many municipalities in the last local elections in Turkey but the state-appointed trustees to these municipalities again and the state-appointed trustees stopped women’s activities again.

How can women stay in women’s shelters?

According to the information given by the Mor Çatı, women can apply to a police station wherever they live in Turkey to stay in women’s shelters. Women don’t have to show any witnesses or evidence to stay in the shelters. If women say they face violence and want to stay in women’s shelters, this will be enough to stay in women’s shelters. If women have children older than 12 years old, women cannot apply for staying in women’s shelters with their children. If women don’t have any relatives to give their children under their protection, the state can provide legal protection for them. Women can see their children while staying in women’s shelters. Women can take their children back when they leave the women’s shelters.

Women’s organizations launch a campaign

Women and women’s organizations in Turkey have launched an online campaign on Twitter. Women demand new women’s shelters to be opened in Turkey for women facing violence.