16 women murdered in February! 21 deaths remain suspicious...

According to data from the We Will Stop Femicide Platform for February, 16 women were murdered last month. The deaths of 21 women remain suspicious. The report noted that the motives for the murder of 12 women could not be determined. It was recorded that most of the murders took place at home.

The full February report from the We Will Stop Femicide Platform is as follows: 

"The motives for the murder of 12 women could not be determined.

This month, 16 femicides were committed, and 21 women were found dead under suspicious circumstances. Of the 16 women murdered, 3 were killed for wanting to make decisions about their own lives, such as wanting a divorce, refusing to reconcile, refusing to marry, or refusing a relationship. One woman was killed for speaking about her son's unemployment. For 12 of them, the motive for the murder could not be determined. The inability to determine the motives for the murder of 12 women is a result of the invisibility of violence against women and femicide. As long as it is not determined by whom and why women are killed; as long as fair trials are not held and suspects, defendants, and murderers do not receive deterrent sentences, and as long as preventive measures are not implemented, violence continues to evolve and persist.

Who killed the women?

Of the 16 women murdered in February, 4 were killed by their husbands, 4 by their ex-husbands, 3 by their sons, 2 by their ex-partners, 1 by their partner, 1 by their father, and 1 by a relative. This month, 25% of the women were killed by their husbands.

Women were mostly killed in their homes

11 of the women were killed in their homes, 2 on the street, 1 in a desolate place, 1 at their workplace, and 1 in front of a school. 69% of the women murdered this month were killed in their homes. 

Women were mostly killed with firearms

Of the women murdered this month, 9 were killed with firearms, 5 with sharp objects, and 2 by strangulation. 56% of the women murdered this month were killed with firearms.

We Will Not Be Sacrificed to the Family, We Will Live with 6284

With 2025 being declared the "Year of the Family," attacks on women's acquired rights have accelerated. The political power is trying to place women in a secondary position within the family and increase the pressure to marry and have children. One of the most concrete examples of this approach is the post made on February 14th, "If you love, go get married, I think." However, in a country where women's rights are weakened and poverty is deepening every day, the priority should be the welfare of the citizens; not getting married and having children.

While the problems women face within the family are ignored, the current government acts as if it is unaware of this reality. Yet, data shows that most women are subjected to violence and pressure within the family. Between March 1, 2024, and March 1, 2025, 239 women were murdered by male family members. Of these women, 154 were killed by their husbands, 26 by their fathers, 22 by their sons, 27 by male relatives, and 10 by their brothers. The state, which cannot ensure the safety of women's lives, is now forcing women to remain in this environment of violence through practices such as family mediation and is encouraging new generations to grow up in similar family structures.

These policies, which sanctify the family instead of empowering women, also target girls. Marriage and divorce statistics published by TUIK reveal the abuse that girls face. In 2024, 9 thousand 971 girls between the ages of 16-17 were married to adult men. Moreover, these figures only cover those officially registered. However, we know that forced child marriage is common in our country and that many of them are not reflected in official records.

The policies that come with the year of the family and the new draft law restrict the rights of LGBTIQ+ individuals while directly threatening women's freedoms and the struggle for gender equality. With the changes made to Article 40 of the Civil Code, the gender reassignment process for trans individuals is being made more difficult, and those who undergo surgery abroad are threatened with punishment. With the concept of "biological sex" added to the Penal Code, LGBTIQ+ identities and expressions are defined as "indecency" and criminalized. While engagement or wedding ceremonies of same-sex individuals are banned, those who attend these ceremonies could face prison sentences. From the perspective of women, these regulations further solidify gender roles, increasing the pressure on women's bodies and identities. Those who defend LGBTI+ rights, feminist organizations, and women activists may face legal prosecution on the grounds of "contrary to general morality."  

We will not take a step back in the face of these policies that target the acquired rights of women and LGBTIQ+ individuals. We will not sacrifice women to the family; we will continue to defend our right to life and our freedom, especially Law No. 6284. As the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, we will continue to fight against all these attacks on our acquired rights. We are stronger together, we can change it together!

On March 8th, at 12:00, we are meeting in front of the Süreyya Opera House in Kadıköy, Istanbul, saying "We will not be sacrificed to the family, we will live with 6284!" We are coming together for our acquired rights, our solidarity, and our struggle. Long live women, long live March 8th! 

We will also hold our actions in many provinces on March 8th. Izmir 17:30 Alsancak Pier, Ankara 17:00 Kolej Metro, Adana 14:00 Kasım Gülek Bridge, Samsun 16:00 Çobanlı Pier, Eskişehir 16:00 in front of Kanatlı Mall, Kayseri 15:00 in front of Almer at Republic Square, Manisa 17:00 Manolya Square, Bursa 19:00 Fomara Square. We are waiting for all women.

Our Struggle Strengthens with Women

Women are strengthened by solidarity, we grow together! We have organized various workshops with women and will continue to do so. We are determined to develop by drawing strength from each other and to carry our struggle even further. You can visit our social media accounts for more information about our workshops. 

Two Years Have Passed Since the Earthquake

Two years have passed since the February earthquakes, but no significant progress has been made in the region. The people affected by the earthquake are still struggling with great difficulties. Many donations were collected after the disaster, but no transparent information is shared about where these donations were spent. People in the earthquake zone have been forgotten, and the government is avoiding fulfilling its responsibility. Necessary steps must be taken to improve the living conditions of the people in the post-disaster process!

February Court Developments

In the case of Havva Altınöz, who was murdered by Saygın Altınöz, whom she was in the process of divorcing, despite a 6284 protection order, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "premeditated murder" without any reduction. 

In the case of Nuran Özcan, who was murdered by her husband Ahmet Fırat, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "intentional murder against a spouse and a woman" without any reduction. We are following the process for the addition of the crime of "murder with monstrous feeling" to the sentence. 

In the case of Gönül Er, who was murdered by her partner Murat Edepli, the defendant was sentenced to aggravated life imprisonment for "intentional murder against a woman." 

A lawsuit was filed against our member Emine Gizem Çetiner, who has been keeping watch against child abuse for months, on the grounds that she exposed a child abuser and violated personal data.

What happened regarding women in February?

Ülker Güleryüz, known as Auntie Necla in Ankara, lost her life by burning along with her animals hours after the Altındağ Municipality took her chipped dogs from her and she was targeted on social media.

KaosGl.org Editor-in-Chief Yıldız Tar and various journalists working on LGBTI+ rights were arrested as part of the operation against the Peoples' Democratic Congress. 

Women workers at HepsiJet in Istanbul started a resistance following poor working conditions, mobbing, and harassment. Resisting women workers will never walk alone!

Suspicious female deaths must be clarified immediately

As we have been stating in our reports for some time, there has been a very serious increase in suspicious female deaths presented as suicide, accident, or natural death, and in the number of women found dead under suspicious circumstances, especially with the pandemic process. Suspicious female deaths can unfortunately be even more challenging than femicides. It is necessary to clarify whether women were murdered, whether they really died by accident, whether they were killed based on gender (whether it is femicide), and whether they committed suicide or were driven to suicide. 

In Elazığ, 26-year-old Ezgi Nur Bağca was found dead in the apartment where she was staying, with cuts on her body. 

In Diyarbakır, 35-year-old Semra M., a mother of 2 and 7 months pregnant, was found dead in her home. Her husband E.M. was taken into custody.  

In Adana, 21-year-old Fatma Kocaklı was found shot with a hunting rifle in her home. Mikail B., with whom she lived in a religious marriage, was taken into custody. 

In Şanlıurfa, 30-year-old mother of two Gülcan Ağırtaş was found seriously injured after being shot in the head with a firearm. Gülcan lost her three-day struggle for life. Following the incident, M.E.T. and F.G. were arrested. 

In Ordu, 37-year-old Pınar Akıncı, from whom no news had been received for 3 days, was found dead in a creek bed. 

The life struggle stories of 16 women murdered in February

In Sakarya, 62-year-old Behiye Taşkın was shot and killed by her son Kadir Taşkın with a hunting rifle. The perpetrator was arrested.

In Tekirdağ, 13-year-old Su Dilem Yazıcı was strangled to death by her father Amir Yazıcı. It was learned that before killing his daughter, the perpetrator posted on his social media account blaming the woman he was previously married to, saying "G.U. is responsible for our death." The perpetrator attempted suicide after killing Su Dilem.

In Istanbul, 33-year-old Sibel Güler, a mother of 3, was strangled to death in her home by her husband Sercan Güler. 

In Nevşehir, 26-year-old Servet Nur Şahin was shot and killed in the middle of the street with a firearm by her ex-husband Emre Yağar on the pretext that she did not show their children to the perpetrator. 

In Konya, 35-year-old Dilek Şen, a mother of 2, was stabbed to death multiple times by her partner Barış E.

Hatice Çevik, living in Afyon, was stabbed to death by her son Oğuzhan G. 

In Nevşehir, 21-year-old Beyza Akdoğan was shot and killed with a rifle by her ex-partner Mustafa Baltaş. The perpetrator committed suicide with the same weapon. 

In Muş, 40-year-old Aynur İsi, a mother of 7, was shot 6 times with a firearm by her husband İhsan İsi and killed. The perpetrator was caught in Erzurum while fleeing.

In Ankara, 39-year-old Selma Yalçın, a mother of 2, was stabbed to death multiple times by İsmail Kara, whom she had divorced 1 week ago. It was learned that the perpetrator was a gambling addict and had previously subjected Selma Yalçın to violence. 

In Izmir, 34-year-old Fatma Şentürk was stabbed to death by M.Ş., whom she was in the process of divorcing. It was learned that Fatma Şentürk had been subjected to violence by the perpetrator many times and had obtained a restraining order against him.

In Gaziantep, 23-year-old Ruha Dabul was shot and killed with a firearm by her husband Muhammed El Hüseyin. It was learned that the perpetrator had a long criminal record.

In Karabük, 29-year-old Leeqa Azimi was shot and killed along with her husband by Norooz Ahmadi, the brother of her husband. The perpetrator was caught while trying to escape. 

In Gaziantep, 38-year-old Nejla Özbiber, a mother of 3, was killed by having her throat slit by her ex-husband Mahmut Kürkçü. 

In Diyarbakır, Mahsum Ateş killed his 70-year-old mother Fener Ateş and his father with a firearm. 

In Istanbul, 45-year-old Seher Güzide was killed with a firearm by her ex-partner İzzet Alver, with whom she argued in front of her workplace. The perpetrator then attempted suicide with the same weapon. 

In Kayseri, 31-year-old Buket K. was shot and killed with a firearm by her ex-husband Ramazan Ç. in front of the school where she went to pick up her children. The perpetrator committed suicide."

News Source: 12punto