Bethan McKernan: Murder in Turkey sparks outrage over rising violence against women

By Dilip -
The murder of a 27-year-old woman by an ex-boyfriend has sparked outrage in Turkey, shining a light on the country’s high femicide rate and government efforts to roll back legislation designed to protect women. The remains of student Pınar Gültekin were discovered in woodland in the Aegean province of Muğla on Tuesday. According to Turkish media, she was beaten and then strangled to death by her former partner, Cemal Metin Avci, who then burned her body in a garbage bin and covered it in concrete.

Violence against women and so-called “honour” killings are deeply rooted and prevalent issues in Turkey. According to a 2009 study on prevention strategies, 42% of Turkish women aged between 15–60 had suffered some physical or sexual violence by their husbands or partners. Every year, the problem is getting worse: in 2019, 474 women were murdered, mostly by partners and relatives, the highest rate in a decade in which the numbers have increased year on year. The figures for 2020, affected by coronavirus lockdowns, are expected to be even higher.

Data on deaths is compiled from news reports and victims’ families by campaign group We Will Stop Femicide, which began tracking murders of women after the government admitted it did not keep records. Government statistics related to violence against women that do exist are unreliable and often differ from department to department.


“Violence against women is a problem everywhere. In Turkey we have a strong women’s rights movement but we also face a lot of opposition,” said Fidan Ataselim, We Will Stop Femicide’s general secretary. “In the last 20 years society has changed a lot: more women are demanding their right to work and go to university. The more choices we have, the more intense the backlash gets.”...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/23/turkey-outrage-rising-violence-against-women

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