Despite a rise in violent crimes against women in Turkey, rights groups say that impunity remains widespread, allowing perpetrators to avoid accountability, the Stockholm Center for Freedom reported, citing the Global Voices news website.
Recent high-profile cases have fueled protests and calls for stronger protections, as activists criticize state policies they claim are failing to address the issue.
“Turkey demands change,” read a post from the popular Instagram account Turkishdictionary, citing data that indicated seven women had been murdered in three days. “Let’s be honest. Turkey has a problem with violence,” read another post, reflecting growing public anger over the lack of justice for victims.
The issue of impunity for violence against women in Turkey is deeply rooted in the country’s legal, cultural and political landscape, which often obstructs justice for victims.
Critics say the policies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government are a major factor, accusing it of protecting violent and abusive men by granting them impunity. Turkish courts have faced repeated criticism for issuing lenient sentences to offenders, often claiming that crimes were “motivated by passion” or interpreting victims’ silence as consent.
A cultural emphasis on preserving traditional family values often takes precedence over individual rights, leading to policies that prioritize family unity over women’s safety. This climate, compounded by Turkey’s 2021 withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention, has signaled a de-prioritization of efforts to combat gender-based violence and emboldened perpetrators, according to rights groups.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has maintained that the withdrawal “has not had the slightest negative impact on women’s rights,” even as incidents of violence have continued to rise.
In recent weeks, rights groups across Turkey have ramped up efforts to draw attention to the escalating violence. Earlier this month İkbal Uzuner and Ayşenur Halil were killed in Istanbul by 19-year-old Semih Çelik, who then took his own life. Çelik, reportedly connected to online “incel” communities known for promoting violence against women, had previous convictions and a history of mental health issues. Another tragic case surfaced when Rojin Kabaiş, a 21-year-old university student, was found dead after being missing for 18 days.
The young woman’s body was found on the shore of Lake Van, nearly 18 kilometers from where she disappeared. According to her father, the authorities said it was a suicide and intended to shut the investigation down immediately. However, her family is adamant that their daughter didn’t die by suicide and demand a thorough investigation.
Although an official report has not been issued, the family’s lawyer said the autopsy indicated bruises on the young woman’s body.
The recent surge in physical and sexual violence has drawn widespread outrage. In one incident, a woman in Istanbul was sexually harassed by two men who were initially released but re-arrested after video evidence of the assault spread on social media, prompting a public outcry.
The latest figures show a significant increase in sexual offenses, with the number of cases under investigation in 2023 rising by 62.4 percent compared to 2022, which had 118,959 cases.
Critics claim that Turkey’s current policies are inadequate, influenced by conservative values that fail to prioritize victims’ rights and safety. “It is the impunity,” said Sera Kadigil, an MP from the Workers’ Party of Turkey, stressing that a lack of accountability for such crimes enables further violence against women, children and even stray animals.
A 2022 Human Rights Watch (HRW) report criticized Turkey’s approach to addressing violence against women, pointing out that the government frames the issue in paternalistic terms, seeing women as needing protection rather than promoting gender equality. Emma Sinclair-Webb of HRW noted that this approach undermines efforts to effectively combat gender-based violence.
In 2023 the We Will Stop Femicides platform documented 315 murders of women and 248 additional suspicious deaths. As the numbers increase this year, advocates say the state’s response has been insufficient. According to the platform, Turkish men killed at least 205 women in acts of domestic violence in the first six months of 2024, while 117 others died under suspicious circumstances in the same period.