205 women killed in first 6 months of 2024, report says

In Türkiye, 205 women were killed in the first six months of 2024, says the report published by the We Will Stop Femicide Platform.

 News Center- The We Will Stop Femicide Platform (Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu-KCDP) held a press conference at the Nazım Hikmet Cultural Center located in Istanbul’s Şişli district, giving information about its report on femicide for the first six months of 2024. 205 women were killed and 117 more died under suspicious circumstances in Türkiye in the first six months of 2024, said Fidan Ataselim, the Secretary-General of the KCDP.

‘Women were killed by their intimate partners’

Indicating that they receive the news on femicide every day, Fidan Ataselim said, “We only share with you the accessible data. Well, who killed the women? 42 percent of women were killed by their spouses. 11 percent of them were killed by their partners and nine percent of them by their fathers. In other words, the women were killed by their intimate partners or other family members. In the first six months of 2024, 59 percent of women were shot dead. In addition, 57 percent of the women were killed at their home.”

‘Femicide cases increased in May and June’

Fidan Ataselim mentioned the data provided by the Ministry of the Interior, claiming that violence against women has decreased.

“In 2021, 131 women were killed and 99 more died under suspicious circumstances. Since then, the number of the victims of femicide has increased. We observe that femicide cases decrease when women struggle and become more visible. For instance, femicide cases decrease in March but then they increase. Femicide cases increase in May and June the most.”

‘You have to give up your policies based on family

Fidan Ataselim also mentioned the “Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family” announced in Türkiye in May 2024, stressing that women are killed whenever the government says, “The family unity is important”. “You have to give up your policies based on the protection of the family to keep women alive. You have Law No. 6284 (Law No.6284 to Protect Family and Prevent Violence against Women). The Ministry conducted a study and prepared a guideline; however, those who prepared this guideline do not implement it. It is just a piece of paper prepared to show the position of Türkiye better to the EU.”

131 women were killed in the first six months of 2021, 164 in the first six months of 2022, 147 in the first six months of 2023 and 205 in the six months of 2024, according to the report.