The republic of Türkiye, majorly known as Turkey internationally, is a country in the Middle East famous for its tourist spots and cultural heritage. However, it is also home to many social and political issues that often raise global attention. The most recent and conspicuous issue that has led to outrage by the public as well as other states is the alarming femicides that have seemingly taken over the female safety standards in the country. This persistent crisis has been affecting women in Turkey for years, and the situation is getting progressively worse every month.
The femicides in Turkey, which should undeniably be classified as a safety crisis, persists despite efforts from advocacy groups and public protests. The current Turkish government’s apparent indifference has rendered these efforts largely ineffective, as it is also suspected by protestors that women’s safety is not a priority to the ruling party. One of the most recent and attention-grabbing cases in the international platform was the murder of two 19 year old women on 4 October 2024 - İkbal Uzuner and Ayşenur Halil - by Semih Çelik. Both crimes occurred in the metropolitan city of Istanbul. Çelik first murdered Halil at her house. Then he met Uzuner in the historical building of Edirnekapı, dismembered her and threw her decapitated head down the walls while many passers-by witnessed the incident, including Uzuner’s mother. He proceeded to commit suicide by jumping off the same building. These murders attracted a lot of rage due to the brutality of the manner they were conducted in, and further investigation proved Çelik had psychological problems and showed signs that he was capable of such violence, and even painted about them.
Statistics
Only in September, 34 women were killed by men, while 20 died under circumstances categorized as suspicious. According to the data provided by the “We Will Stop Femicides” platform created by Turkish women - not taking into account the suspicious circumstances - at least 376 women have been killed by men since the start of 2024. The number of women murders in 2008 being 68 shows the huge surge of femicides of Turkey in recent years.
Judicial problems and overcrowding
The reason behind these surge in numbers is often attributed to the ineffective judicial system. The main issue of the judicial procedure is often attributed to the leniency when handling femicide cases, with perpetrators frequently receiving light sentences or early releases. According to the “We Will Stop Femicides” Platform, many offenders are granted reduced sentences if they claim “good behavior” or express remorse, even in severe cases where premeditated violence is evident. The fact that there is a population that keeps growing at rapid rates and has reached 85 million citizens in 2024, leading to overcrowding in prisons adds to the problem. The overcrowding subsequently leads to criminals who commit femicides to either be pardoned or given more lenient sentences than the law demands. According to article 81 of the Turkish Penal Code, the act of intentionally killing someone is punished by life imprisonment, which is very often not the result of proceedings against femicides.
During to Covid-19, thousands of inmates were released to ease the overcrowding problem, with the exception of political prisoners. The fact that violent offenders, mostly against women, were released during this measure creates the conception that violence and murder will be excused or that justice will be easy to evade within the public and leads to effortless crimes, nurturing a cycle of violence. In many of the cases, released offenders have resumed stalking or threatening their victims, and often following through on their threats. A widely known case in September 2024 involved a 26-year-old policewoman who was killed by an assailant who held 26 criminal offenses. These kinds of situations underscore how inadequate judicial practices can place survivors in even greater danger.
Cultural roots
Young feminists explain that the reason women are most often the victim of distortion in law is caused by the patriarchal regime rooted in Turkey’s traditionalist view. The data collected on motives of these crimes show that 40% of femicides stem from men preserving the “honor” of the family. Women are almost always killed by their husbands, ex-partners, relatives or someone they know due to wanting divorce, refusing to marry, or showing control and autonomy over their own lives. Activists argue that Turkey’s patriarchal societal norms add to the problem, since this perspective often undervalues women’s independence, their decision making power concerning their lives and places importance on women fulfilling their roles within the family structure. Consequently, when women defy the expectations imposed on them, the likelihood of a violent outcome increases.
The Istanbul Convention
Another decision by the Turkish government that garnered a lot of lashback with the rise of femicide rates was made in 2021 when Turkey officially withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, a landmark treaty of the Council of Europe that Turkey was the first to sign in 2011. The aim of the treaty was to prepare a legal framework to avert and tackle violence against women, prosecute offenders, and establish measures. Turkish officials kept supporting the withdrawal since then, insisting that the national law of Turkey is adequate for the protection of women.
However, it is argued otherwise by women’s rights groups as well as the statistics, which reveal a rise in femicides with the number reaching and exceeding 400 every year since 2021. This fact is seen as connected with the treaty also due to the commitment it symbolized: an effort to change societal norms concerning women’s rights and safety, which was an objective not followed through. Women’s rights advocates fear that without the Istanbul Convention government inaction on femicides could get even worse, as there are also some conservative groups pushing to restrict women’s rights under “traditional family values.” Critics say current policies are inadequate, shaped by religious norms that often tolerate, rather than prevent, violence against women.
Reforms
The commonness of these crimes placed Turkey under a harsh spotlight, revealing how deeply entrenched cultural, judicial, and political factors are driving gender-based violence across the country. The way to address and take preventive measures against these femicides requires Turkey to take immediate legislative and judicial reform, along with a cultural shift towards a more gender-equal community. Activists are adamant that Turkey should rejoin the Istanbul Convention as a first step to show a renewed commitment to resolving these issues, even though it seems unlikely at the moment due to the officials’ statements saying the withdrawal did not affect women protection in the first place. Apart from that, another direly needed action is strengthening penalties for femicides, halting sentence reduction for good behavior so the offenders are held accountable, fixing the notion that femicide can go unpunished. It is necessary for police training on domestic violence cases as a preventive measure as well, since they are often dismissed as without the required care and thus normalized, causing the “violence is excused” mentality in the society. A cultural shift would be harder to achieve as it would take more time and resources to change beliefs rooted so deeply in a community, along with the effects from religious groups. However, awareness campaigns about gender equality -especially in schools-, access and funding to women shelters and psychological support services would be a step forward.
The current femicides and women safety crisis in Turkey that is caused by many reasons such as malfunctions in the legal system and cultural norms needs urgent legislative, judicial, social reforms and significant intervention. Without the government taking actions, the cycle of violence and impunity is likely to persist and continue endangering women in Turkey. This situation is without a doubt a national emergency, and the choices made from here on out, to ignore or to act, will shape the future of women in Turkey for years to come.
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