The murder of three women in İzmir in the last 10 days has sparked a reaction from women's organizations. Members of the We Will Stop Femicide Platform held a press conference in front of the İzmir Bar Association following the murders of Ebru Serep in Seferihisar, Pınar Güneş in Çeşme, and lawyer Özge Penbegül in Menemen.
Speaking at the statement, the Platform's İzmir Provincial Representative Esra Akın stated that women should be protected while they are alive, not after they are killed, saying, "Three women, three separate murders. Three separate lives left unfinished."
Akın said that Ebru Serep in Seferihisar was severely injured after her former partner, Abdullah Karabina, set fire to her house, and that she lost her battle for life in the hospital. Akın emphasized that there had previously been a restraining order for Serep, but the decision was not enough to protect her.
Reminding that 28-year-old Pınar Güneş lost her life after being shot in an armed attack involving two men in Çeşme, Akın reported that four people have been arrested in the investigation. In Menemen, she stated that lawyer Özge Penbegül was shot and killed by the police officer she was engaged to.
“FEMICIDES ARE PREVENTABLE”
Referring to the Platform's September 2026 report, Akın said that 28 women were killed in one month, and 19 women were found dead under suspicious circumstances. Akın stated that half of the murdered women were killed in their homes, and 15 were killed with firearms.
Stating that protection mechanisms must be operated, Akın called for the effective implementation of Law No. 6284, for violations of restraining orders not to be left unpunished, and for the applications of women under threat of violence to be taken seriously.
Drawing attention to the issue of access to firearms in particular, Akın asked, "How do men who threaten women access weapons? Who inspects these weapons?" Stating that access to weapons by individuals at risk of violence should be prevented, Akın also said that they are against unjust provocation and good conduct discounts in femicide cases.
Lawyer Hatice Aslan Atabay, who also spoke at the statement, expressed that women are not safe. Criticizing the evaluation of violence against women as a "simple threat," Atabay said that they will continue to stand side by side for women's right to life.
Atabay stated that approaches that legitimize or mitigate violence must be abandoned to protect women's right to life, adding, "No violence directed at women and fed by patriarchy is simple."
News Source: 12punto
