Turkey: 21 women killed by men in April

In Turkey, 21 women were killed by men, 23 more died under suspicious circumstances in April, according to the report released by the We Will Stop Femicide Platform.

News Center- We Will Stop Femicide Platform (KCDP) has released its April report on femicide by compiling the news from local and national newspapers, news websites and news agencies. At least 21 women were killed by men, 23 more died under suspicious circumstances in April 2023, the report said.

‘Women were killed for making decision about their lives’

The platform has released reports on femicide in Turkey since 2010. “Five of 21 women were killed by men on the excuse that they asked for a divorce, refused marriage, or dating proposal and made decision about their lives; two women were killed on the excuse of financial reasons; one was killed on the excuse of a fighting due to noise; one killed on the excused of a land dispute; the excuses of men for killing 12 women were not determined,” the report said.

 In the report, the platform said the reason why the excuse of men for killing 12 women were not determined: “The reason why the excuse of men for killing 12 women were not determined is that the cases of violence against women and femicide are invisible. Gender-based violence and femicide will continue without the determination of by whom and why women were killed, unless a fair trial is conducted in these cases and unless preventive measures are implemented.”

 Women were killed by whom?

Nine of 21 women were killed by their husbands, one by her ex-husband, one by her ex-boyfriend, two by their male relatives, three by their sons, three by someone they knew and one by her father, the report said.

Protect women

Recalling the statement of Turkish Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu saying that the rate of victims of femicide has decreased, the platform said in the report: “According to our data, 300 women became the victims of femicide and 171 more died under suspicious circumstances in 2010, 334 women became the victims of femicide and 245 more died under suspicious circumstances. Instead of distorting the facts through the Istanbul Convention, the authorities should implement Law No. 6284 effectively to protect women.”