In Turkey, femicides have increased in recent years. The number of women killed as a result of male violence continues to rise, while perpetrators often do not receive adequate punishment, provoking strong reactions from women’s organizations and rights defenders.
Gülizar Ipek Bilek, spokesperson for the Mêrdin Şahmaran Women’s Platform, highlighted the rise in femicides in Mardin (Mêrdin) and Kurdistan in general, as well as the policy of impunity characterizing the investigations.
Bilek underlined that women’s institutions must become more active and that women must hold the majority in decision-making processes in order to end the massacres of women. She said: “We all see that there is a significant increase in femicides. Both in Kurdistan and in Turkey, the country has turned into a cemetery for women. Femicides are not isolated incidents; they are systematic and political attacks against women.
As women begin to gain strength in the field, the male-dominated system starts attacking these structures. But the greatest reason behind this is, in fact, the policy of impunity maintained by the male judiciary. These impunity policies embolden the perpetrators. Together with ‘good conduct’ reductions, these killers are further encouraged.”
Bilek continued: “When we look at femicides, it becomes clear that each of these murders is premeditated. Searches such as ‘How many years of sentence would I get?’ or ‘good conduct reduction’ are made on Google. This alone demonstrates how the male judiciary rewards perpetrators through policies of impunity.
We can see how femicides have increased following the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. The failure to implement Law No. 6284 is also one of the reasons behind these massacres. If this law had been enforced, at the very least, the rapid escalation of these massacres could have been prevented.
There are many preventive policies, but unfortunately, none of them are being implemented. When women apply to the police station, nobody takes them seriously. For example, a woman working in Parliament was murdered, and Parliament did not even react. This woman was killed despite having a protection order. This shows that women are not protected even under state-issued protection decisions.”
Bilek added: “The state does not develop mechanisms to protect women, and it does this deliberately. Because when the male judiciary makes decisions that pat men on the back, it emboldens perpetrators even further and causes femicides to increase. That is why we say these are not isolated cases; femicides are systematic and political.
It is women who raise their voices, who stand at the forefront, who fill the public spaces, and who can transform society. The system, however, tries to confine women within four walls. What is called the ‘Year of the Family’ is exactly this.”
Deaths of women under suspicious circumstances surpass femicides
Bilek said that “an example must be given of the so-called ‘Year of the Family’: 31 women were murdered, and 30 women died under suspicious circumstances. Suspicious female deaths have now begun to surpass the massacres of women. The main reason for this is the judiciary’s policy of impunity. The judiciary tries to close these cases by labeling them ‘suicides’ and does not investigate them.
Yet when these cases are properly examined and followed up, it becomes clear that the perpetrators are already known. As women, we do not accept the sharp increase in such suspicious female deaths.
As the Mêrdin Şahmaran Women’s Platform, we are also following many femicides in Mardin. For example, three women were murdered in a single day in Mardin. We now call this ‘femicide genocide.’ This is a situation that has spread across all of Turkey.
When we look at those in power, we see attacks on women’s hard-won rights. Women’s rights are being usurped, and femicides are being legitimized. An image is being created as if these murders are normal.”
Bilek underlined that the media’s approach to women and the language it uses is also a determining factor in shaping this process. She stressed that the media must absolutely change its language and continued: “There is a language that completely ignores gender. There is a language that portrays femicides under the guise of ‘honor’ or depicts good conduct reductions as normal. There is a language that normalizes the massacres of women. This language must be eliminated entirely. The media must take this seriously and adopt a language that highlights gender.
The media is also empowered by the system. Even gender education has been removed from school curricula. Gender has almost become a word that cannot even be spoken. Yet it is gender that sustains society. It is equality between women and men. It is social transformation. If the system prevents this, then it is clearly paving the way for these massacres. The culprit is none other than the state and the government itself. By implementing these policies, it is opening the way for these massacres.”
There is no mechanism for women to turn to
Bilek stated that efforts are being made to leave no alternative mechanism or institution for women to turn to, recalling that after the usurpation of municipalities, all women’s institutions were shut down. She said: “The state’s institutions are not carrying out serious work. The Ministry of Family and Social Services is not conducting any efforts on this issue. Since there is no place for women to apply to, unfortunately, women are forced to return to the environments where they are subjected to violence.”
Ipek pointed out that it is no coincidence that hundreds of women have been murdered after the ministry declared this year the “Year of the Family,” and added that a system is being built that confines women solely within the family, does not regard them as subjects, marginalizes them, and turns them into instruments of population policy.
Bilek added: “Women have no right to abortion, and their bodies are under seizure. For example, the state says that women should have three children.’This alone shows us how women’s bodies are being controlled.”
The judiciary protects perpetrators
Bilek underlined that women’s institutions must be allowed to function. She said: “Women’s institutions are not allowed to review case files. For example, regarding the triple femicide in Mardin, our lawyer friends applied to the prosecutor, but their request was rejected. They said that they cannot allow women’s platforms to review these files. This alone shows how deep the problem is and how the male judiciary protects the perpetrators.”
The system must urgently prepare an action plan
Bilek continued: “The system must urgently prepare an action plan. In a country where so much femicide and massacres of women is taking place, a comprehensive action plan must be created immediately. When we look at the policies of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, we see that no work is being carried out. This alone reveals that ministries are actually established only for show. We do not want token ministries.
If we are to prevent femicides, we need to conduct joint work with all women’s institutions. In municipalities, more focus must be given to women’s institutions, these institutions must be strengthened, and ‘Violence Hotlines’ must be made active. These hotlines are still not operational; there must be hotlines functioning 24/7. Solidarity centers and sexual crisis centers must also be opened. In addition, impunity must be eliminated.
Even though we women take to the streets and try to make our voices heard in these spaces, the system continues to intensify its attacks. But we say this: despite all these attacks, as women, by standing shoulder to shoulder, we will stop this massacre of women, and we will put an end to it together.”
It is women who will socialize peace
Finally, drawing attention to the lack of equal representation in the parliamentary commission, Gülizar Ipek Bilek said: “If we want peace, it is women who will socialize this peace. Abdullah Öcalan has emphasized the importance of equal representation in all his defenses and speeches, and he has also underlined the leading role of women. With this women’s leadership, a commission was established; there are 51 members in this commission, and only 10 of them are women. This clearly shows how deficient equal representation is. If we want to move peace forward, we must ensure equality within the commission.
We must discuss violence and develop plans to prevent it. Violence must absolutely be stopped, and it is women who will put an end to this violence. For this reason, women must take a greater role and have a stronger voice in peace processes.”