Public outcry and mourning over murders of women and children

Turkey was shaken last week by the brutal murder of Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner by 19-year-old Semih Çelik. The perpetrator, Semih Çelik, first killed Ayşenur Halil and then, just half an hour later, killed İkbal Uzuner, plunging the country into a state of shock with the news of these horrific murders. The terrifying video that surfaced in the public domain revealed the gravity of the incident.

Semih Çelik, who is alleged to be a member of an organization targeting women and identified as "incel," added another horrific example to the femicides that frequently dominate the agenda in our country, and committed suicide by jumping from the Edirnekapı Walls after the murders.

According to the statements of his father, Adem Çelik, his son Semih Çelik had serious psychological problems. On the afternoon of March 1, 2022, the mother of the killer's school friend, İkbal Uzuner, had warned the killer's mother, saying, "Your son has brainwashed my daughter, they are going to commit suicide together." On the evening of the same day, Semih Çelik had attempted suicide by stabbing himself in the left chest area. During his statement, father Adem Çelik stated that his son had received treatment in various hospitals a total of five times within one year and that his psychological condition had gradually worsened during this period.

In the room of Çelik, who was also known to use drugs, chilling charcoal drawings resembling devil figures and meat-cutting tools he had obtained from the butcher shop where he worked were found. Despite all these events, the fact that the brutality could not be prevented caused a great reaction in the public.

The footage of the moment of the incident shared on social media, as well as the heartbreaking cries of İkbal's mother and the messages posted by some unidentified individuals, particularly on the X platform, further amplified the horror. Those who followed the incident most closely were university communities and various student groups.

In our country, concrete actions were taken in response to the traumatic events that have shaken the public one after another in recent times, such as the murder of Narin Güran, the martyrdom of police officer Şeydanur Yılmaz, and the murders of Ayşenur and İkbal. First, the sports community made posts in solidarity with the hashtag #kadınaveçocuğadokunma (#DoNotTouchWomenAndChildren). Football clubs Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Beşiktaş, and Trabzonspor published messages reacting to the acts of violence committed against women and children. These four major clubs also supported the campaign initiated by fans by making posts on social media.

Subsequently, various university student groups issued statements of condemnation and protest. On Monday, October 7, "marches" and "wearing black" protests were organized. While photo exhibitions were held on some campuses to commemorate İkbal and Ayşenur, in some places, people wanted to raise social awareness by dressing entirely in black.

During the protests, marches were held with slogans themed "Do Not Touch Women and Children." Although the type, location, time, and participants differed, the Turkish public demonstrated solidarity and unity against the femicides, making efforts to increase social awareness and consciousness.

Marmara University students also held demonstrations following the murder of Ayşenur Halil and İkbal Uzuner by 19-year-old Semih Çelik.