In the province of Van in northern Kurdistan, the number of suspicious deaths of women continues to rise. According to women’s organizations, at least 14 women have died under unexplained circumstances in the first eight months of this year alone. The Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad, TJA) warns of an alarming trend. More and more deaths of women are being hastily classified as suicides without serious investigation, even though there are indications of violence.
TJA activist Rojbin Bor speaks of a politically motivated attack on women and deplores the impunity of the perpetrators. “These deaths are not isolated incidents; they are an expression of a patriarchal system,” she says. “The women’s bodies show signs of violence, but there is hardly any investigation. Many cases are dismissed as suicide, even though the evidence suggests otherwise.”
Jin News: Hundreds of cases, hardly any investigation
The women’s news agency Jin News, which regularly publishes a chronicle of gender-based violence, documented the femicide of at least 28 women in Turkey in July alone. Another 25 died under suspicious circumstances. Most of these cases are not reported in the media, and investigations often come to nothing.
The situation is also dramatic in Van, where, according to the TJA, the effects of the state’s special war policy are particularly evident. Several women who asked for help were later found dead. “One example is the death of Sinem Demir. When we arrived at the scene, her body showed clear signs of violence and drag marks,” reports Rojbin Bor. “Nevertheless, her death was recorded as a suicide.”
“Silence and trivialization instead of protection”
Behind many of the deaths are stories of domestic violence, threats, and deep poverty. According to the TJA, many of the women killed in Van had repeatedly turned to the police and authorities, seeking protection from family or women’s shelters. “Time and again, they said in advance, ‘He’s going to kill me.’ Yet these cases ended fatally – without legal consequences for the alleged perpetrators,” Bor says.
“The state protects the perpetrators, not the women. Men know that even if they commit violence, they have little to fear. Many say, ‘I’ll serve three months and then I’ll be out again.’ And unfortunately, that’s often true,” adds the activist.
Bor points to the political dimension: the abolition of the Istanbul Convention and attacks on the Protection Against Violence Act 6284 have contributed to a social climate that encourages male violence. The judiciary is not acting neutrally, but is allowing violent men to get away with their actions, she underlines.
Networks are not enough – structural responses are needed
Together with the Human Rights Association (IHD), bar associations, and women’s organizations, TJA is trying to establish protection networks for affected women. However, this work is limited as long as the state fails to fulfill its responsibility to protect.
“What we need are long-term measures: projects to combat female poverty, 24-hour emergency call centers, and above all, a justice system that takes consistent action,” says Bor. “This is the only way to create an environment in which women can live safely—and not have to die.”