The phenomenon of femicide—the killing of women and girls because of their gender—has become a grim, relentless tide in Turkey, particularly over the last five years. Far from being isolated incidents, these murders are symptomatic of deep-seated societal, political, and legal failures. From 2020 to 2024, civil society groups like the We Will Stop Femicide Platform (KCDP) have documented hundreds of cases annually, with the numbers remaining tragically high. This persistent violence demands a multidimensional analysis that moves beyond simple crime statistics to examine the political, legal, and cultural forces at play.
The Political and Legal Retreat
The most significant political development impacting women's safety was Turkey’s unilateral withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in July 2021. This landmark Council of Europe treaty was designed to prevent violence against women, protect victims, and prosecute perpetrators. The withdrawal, driven by conservative political backlash, was a devastating blow to women’s rights advocates.
The immediate aftermath saw a notable increase in violence and a rise in "suspicious female deaths," often masked as suicides or accidents like "falls from a height." Research covering the period from January 2020 to June 2023 indicates that the proportion of victims who were employed, had children, and had previously sought legal protection rose significantly. This suggests that the withdrawal did not just remove a legal framework; it signaled a political tolerance for violence, emboldening perpetrators and undermining the protective mechanisms for women actively trying to escape abuse.
The Cultural and Societal Dimensions
Femicide in Turkey is deeply rooted in a patriarchal culture that enforces rigid gender roles and views women as property. The primary motives cited by perpetrators often revolve around women seeking divorce, refusing reconciliation, or making independent life decisions. This is often described as a "masculine backlash" against women's increasing autonomy and participation in public life.
The media's portrayal of these crimes further exacerbates the problem. Sensationalist reporting often focuses on the victim's behavior or clothing, effectively shifting the blame away from the perpetrator and the systemic failures that enabled the murder. This cultural normalization of violence is a powerful barrier to change, reinforcing the idea that a man's "honor" or authority justifies violence.
The Failure of the Justice System
While Turkey has domestic laws, such as Law No. 6284, aimed at protecting women, their implementation is often weak and inconsistent. Activists frequently point to the failure of the justice system to enforce restraining orders, provide adequate shelter, and apply deterrent sentences. Perpetrators often benefit from "good conduct" reductions in sentencing, which are seen as an insult to the victims and their families.
Furthermore, the government’s reluctance to publish comprehensive, official statistics on femicide has created a data vacuum, leaving civil society organizations to shoulder the burden of documentation. This lack of transparency is a political choice that obscures the true scale of the crisis and hinders effective policy-making.
The fight against femicide in Turkey is therefore a struggle on multiple fronts: a battle for legal protection, a cultural war against patriarchy, and a political demand for accountability. The resilience of women's rights organizations, despite facing legal challenges and political pressure, remains a crucial bulwark against this violence. They continue to demand the full implementation of Law No. 6284 and the immediate reinstatement of the Istanbul Convention. Until the state fully commits to these protective measures and reverses the political retreat from international standards, the tragic, unstoppable tide of femicide will continue to claim the lives of women across the country, a stark reminder of the cost of political inaction and societal indifference.
Photo: Manus AI