14. Februar 2025

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Umsetzung der Gesetze zum Schutz vor häuslicher Gewalt

Prävalenz von (häuslicher) Gewalt gegen Frauen in der Türkei.

Verfügbarkeit von Gewaltpräventions- und Unterstützungseinrichtungen und Zugang zu Frauenhäusern

Einschränkungen und Versorgungsdefizite beim Zugang zu Frauenhäusern

Die folgenden Ausschnitte aus ausgewählten Quellen enthalten Informationen zu oben genannter Fragestellung (Zugriff auf alle Quellen am 14. Februar 2025):

Bitte beachten Sie, dass die in dieser Anfragebeantwortung enthaltenen Übersetzungen aus dem Türkischen unter Verwendung von technischen Übersetzungshilfen erstellt wurden. Es besteht daher ein erhöhtes Risiko, dass diese Arbeitsübersetzungen Ungenauigkeiten enthalten.

Umsetzung der Gesetze zum Schutz vor häuslicher Gewalt

·      UN Human Rights Committee: Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Türkiye [CCPR/C/TUR/CO/2], 28. November 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2120309/g2420766.pdf

„The Committee is concerned about the very high number of femicides and other killings in the context of domestic violence and in the context of so-called honour crimes, as well as about the lack of effective prevention, protection measures, effective investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators. […] The Committee is concerned that women who are victims of any kind of violence are afraid to lodge complaints, given the passivity of the authorities and the risk of stigmatization and revictimization (arts. 2, 3, 6, 7 and 26).“ (UN Human Rights Committee, 28. November 2024, S. 4)

·      Europäische Kommission: Türkiye 2024 Report [SWD(2024) 696 final], 30. Oktober 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2117538/Türkiye Report 2024.pdf 

„The legislation and the institutional framework in Türkiye is not aligned with EU legislation and international standards. Türkiye has no longer been party to the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention since 2021 and its legislation is not aligned with the EU Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence. Strategies and action plans in this area – the 12th National Development Plan (20242028), the Women’s Empowerment Strategy Document and Action Plan (2024-2028), and the Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family (2024-2028), still need to bear credible results. Violence against women remains prevalent due to the lack of effective and deterrent sentences, weak implementation of legislation and the low quality of available support services.” (Europäische Kommission, 30. Oktober 2024, S. 33-34)

·      SCF – Stockholm Center for Freedom: Critics blame widespread impunity for surge in violence against women in Turkey, 18. Oktober 2024
https://stockholmcf.org/critics-blame-widespread-impunity-for-surge-in-violence-against-women-in-turkey/

„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.” (SCF, 18. Oktober 2024)

·      Politico: Outrage over murders of women forces Turkey’s Erdoğan to harden laws, 10. Oktober 2024
https://www.politico.eu/article/outrage-murder-women-turkey-erdogan-feminicide-laws-ak-party/

„Hülya Gülbahar, a prominent women’s rights activist and lawyer, said Turkey’s Law No. 6284, which provides protection for domestic violence, is sufficiently strong in itself, but it is not being implemented properly.

‘If 6284 was implemented, thousands of women’s lives would have been saved … But impunity is a systematic state policy’ she argued.” (Politico, 10. Oktober 2024)

·      SCF – Stockholm Center for Freedom: Over 1.4 million women in Turkey have reported domestic violence since 2013, 10. September 2024
https://stockholmcf.org/over-1-4-million-women-in-turkey-have-reported-domestic-violence-since-2013/

„Femicides and violence against women are chronic problems in Turkey, where women are killed, raped or beaten almost every day. Many critics say the main reason behind the situation is the policies of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) government, which protects violent and abusive men by granting them impunity.

Turkish courts have repeatedly attracted criticism due to their tendency to hand down lenient sentences to offenders, claiming that the crime was ‘motivated by passion’ or by interpreting victims’ silence as consent.” (SCF, 10. September 2024)

·      HRW – Human Rights Watch: Human Rights Watch Submission to the Human Rights Committee on Türkiye; 142nd Session (14 October – 7 November 2024), September 2024
https://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media_2024/10/HRW%20submission%20to%20Human%20Rights%20Committee%20review%20of%20Turkiye%20September%202024.pdf 

„Human Rights Watch’s research demonstrates the failures of implementation of measures in Law 6284 to protect women and girls from violence. shows that while police and courts are issuing preventive and protective cautionary orders, failure to ensure they are observed leaves dangerous protection gaps for women if not rendering them meaningless. Courts often issue cautionary orders for far too brief periods, and the authorities fail to undertake effective risk assessments or monitor the effectiveness of the orders, leaving survivors of domestic violence at risk of ongoing – and at times deadly – abuse. Some perpetrators breach the terms of preventive cautionary orders without penalty.

The Interior Ministry’s own figures presented to a parliamentary commission on violence against women demonstrate that in around 8.5 percent of cases of women killed between 2016 and 2021, the woman had been granted an ongoing protective or preventive order at the time of her murder. In 2021, 38 of the 307 women killed were under protection, the highest number over the previous five-year period for which figures are recorded. There has been no official announcement of the numbers in subsequent years, although the interior minister announced in July 2024 that 308 women were killed by violent men in 2023, and 166 in the first six months of 2024.

While penalties for men who murder women have risen over the years, there needs to be more focus on the failure of the authorities to prevent these murders. There should be clear processes for investigating and holding to account public authorities in cases where they have not exercised due diligence in preventing and protecting victims of domestic violence.” (HRW, September 2024, S. 10)

·      CAT – UN Committee Against Torture: Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Türkiye [CAT/C/TUR/CO/5], 14. August 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2119245/G2413344.pdf 

„While acknowledging the steps that the State party has made during the reporting period to train law enforcement officers and reinforce its domestic legislation to respond to acts of gender-based and domestic violence, the Committee regrets the State party’s decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence. The Committee is concerned about allegations that preventive and protective cautionary orders are not granted for sufficient periods of time, that complaints of gender-based and domestic violence are frequently dismissed, in particular in rural areas and when involving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, and that the provision of shelter accommodation is discriminatory towards older women and women with teenage sons or children with disabilities (arts. 2, 12–13 and 16).” (CAT, 14. August 2024)

·      Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation: Shadow Report to be submitted to the Committee against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Juli 2024
https://insanhaklariizleme.org/vt/yayin_view.php?editid1=2809

„Following the withdrawal of Turkey from the Istanbul Convention, the only remaining legal basis for combating violence against women is Law No. 6284. This law regulates the measures for protecting women from violence. The measures include women’s shelters, restraining orders and confidentiality orders. The law stipulates that these measures should be taken by law enforcement officers, Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers (ŞÖNİM), prosecutors and Family Courts based on women’s statements and the principle of non-discrimination. However, the experiences of women seeking assistance from Mor Çatı and the experts working in this field point to problems in implementing these measures. The periods of cautionary orders issued under Law no. 6284 are so short that they do not allow women to distance themselves from violence. A review of these periods reveals the lack of a risk analysis about the threat of violence women face and/or the lack of consideration of a risk analysis when issuing these orders. Cautionary orders issued for 84 women who received support from Mor Çatı Solidarity Centre between 1 April 2023 and 1 April 2024 cover a period of a maximum of 6 months, even as short as 24 hours in some cases. Among women who receive support from Mor Çatı shelter, 15 women applied for 6-month cautionary orders 21 times; yet only 2 of them were granted 6-month cautionary orders. Since protective measures are not granted based on risk and needs analysis, women are forced to repeatedly apply for extensions. The brevity of the periods compels women to seek cautionary orders repeatedly, sometimes resulting in lapses of time between orders. This situation generally leads to women striving to get cautionary orders, even putting their lives in danger in some cases. In some cases, when women apply to extend protection orders, their requests are denied with the reasoning that ‘there is no longer any violence.’ This situation forces women to live in fear and leads to some perpetrators resuming their violent behavior as soon as the protection order expires.

In addition, issuing cautionary orders has turned into an automatic action; copy-paste decisions neither respond to women's risk status nor satisfies women’s needs. This situation is reflected in the press with news reports on women who had been granted an ongoing cautionary order at the time of their murders. For instance, the press covered the murder of Aslı Yılmaz by her husband in January 2023, reporting that the restraining order issued against the husband ended one month before the day of the murder. Still, Antalya 9th Family Court overruled the request to extend the restraining order because of a lack of evidence that the suspect would commit any act of violence. Similarly, in the case of Dilek Uzelli, the perpetrator violated the restraining orders several times through various physical assaults including an acid attack against her; yet the woman’s request for an electronic bracelet against the perpetrator was still denied, which led the perpetrator to kill their 4 year old daughter and her mother, and to heavily injure the woman. According to media news reports, at least 46 women murdered in 2023 were under protection. A common fact that comes to notice in these murder cases is the failure to detain the perpetrators despite multiple complaints made against them before the murders.

The fact that women who request restraining orders and confidentiality orders cannot obtain these orders for their children and/or fail to obtain temporary custody of their children continues to pose a severe security risk. Women who are granted restraining orders are compelled to come together with the perpetrator for him to see the children because of the judgments of Family Courts, which prioritize the relationship between the father and the child over security. Particularly in cases where the woman subjected to violence is not a Turkish citizen, this situation creates a fear that they cannot access justice in Turkey and that their children will be taken away if they do not return to the perpetrator. For example, D.K., who received support from Mor Çatı, had obtained a protection and confidentiality order due to the psychological and physical violence she endured. However, despite the confidentiality order, the Family Court ruled in favor of the father having visitation rights with the child. D.K., despite the confidentiality order, felt compelled to take the joint children to meet their father, and as a result of the fear and helplessness she felt, she made the sudden decision to leave the shelter and return to the perpetrator.” (Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Juli 2024, S. 2-3)

„Issues with the law enforcement and impunity against officials who deny effective protection

Law enforcement units are defined by legislation as the frontline authority for women seeking assistance and thus these units are the most contacted institution by women experiencing violence and where one most frequently comes across bad practices. However there is a prevalent atmosphere of impunity for the bad practices of the law enforcement officials that causes these practices to continue without any consequences.

For most women who consult Mor Çatı, deterring attitudes and behaviors of law enforcement staff are among the factors that make it difficult for them to ask for help, go to a shelter and file an official complaint in order to distance themselves from violence. Practices that deter women from getting away from violence include rude behaviors, sexist and judgmental rhetoric, trying to talk the woman out of going to a shelter by providing false information or deterring women from filing a complaint by telling her that it would not yield any results even if she filed a complaint. For instance a woman applied to the police to be taken to the shelter but was deterred by dissuasive, incomplete, and inaccurate information suggesting that she couldn’t be accommodated due to having children. She said ‘I asked for shelter. I wanted to bring my children with me. The police told me, “Is this a kindergarten? You cannot take your children with you. If you come, the only option is to come alone.” Today, I learned that this information was incorrect. I have endured this torment for years because of this misinformation. I could have taken my children and left then.’ These deterrent behaviors are often combined with reconciliation attempts by the law enforcement. In one case, a woman who was subjected to violence by her husband contacted law enforcement to file a complaint and demand access to a woman’s shelter. Although she said she did not want to go to her family home, law enforcement officers called her family, telling them to come over and, together with her family members, tried to talk the woman into making up with her husband. Other women shared their experiences where law enforcement officers brought them and their husbands together, encouraging them to make it up, or they were manipulated into consent or intimidated into making up with their husbands. When another woman was beaten by her husband, her neighbors called the police. When the police arrived, they did not confiscate the man's weapon, remove him from the house, or inform the woman about possible protective measures. The misinformation and intimidation tactics of law enforcement officials have made it impossible for women to exercise their rights against violence, and in some cases, lead to irreversible and serious loss of rights.” (Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Juli 2024, S. 4-5)

“Turkey still lacks a hotline service that specifically supports combating violence against women. The State points to Alo 183 Social Support Line as a hotline that provides support in this regard. However, this hotline serves as a 24/7 call center. When a call is made, it is the call center staff, not specialized in violence against women, pick up the line. Therefore, call center staff cannot respond professionally but can only forward tips or make a referral by providing information to the caller. The lack of a hotline service that supports women in emergencies or serves as a first step support remains a barrier to effectively combating violence against women.

Women's Emergency Support Application (KADES) is a smartphone application developed by the Ministry of Interior to speed up emergency response. In recent years, the state has often referred to this application vis-à-vis the efforts to combat violence against women; however, the application could only resolve a small part of the problems and hardly eliminated any of the challenges faced in law enforcement practices. The application basically offers to call the police quickly in one move. A report by Mor Çatı published in August 2023 identifies problems with KADES, including that the application is not accessible to all women and the swiftness of law enforcement officers’ arrival at the scene varies according to the area. Other problems include that law enforcement officers responding to the call are not equipped to combat violence against women and that any random law enforcement officer may respond to the call. This causes the perpetuation of bad practices by law enforcement officers, including incomplete and wrong practices, deterring attitudes and coercion into reconciliation even when the KADES application is used.

In access to justice, the hierarchy observed among types of violence and the consequently inadequate conduct of risk analysis bring about vital consequences. Although stalking is defined as a crime in the Turkish Penal Code, there is an absence of any action about cyberstalking in the digital medium. The press also covered cases of stalking that started in the digital medium, where the complaints were left unresolved and, in some cases, even resulted in murder. In one case, the several different official complaints of a 15-year old girl against the perpetrator who stalked him were ignored, which then followed by the same perpetrator stalking another 16 year old girl who then was killed by him.” (Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Juli 2024, S. 7-8)

„In accordance with the Committee’s concerns, the conviction rates for violence against women are low and there are major issues with the investigation of the cases of violence against women and the prosecution of the perpetrators.

First of all, although in Turkey the investigations are usually launched into charges in connection with violence against women after a complaint is filed that is informing authorities that a crime has been committed, the vast majority of women who apply to Mor Çatı have not filed a complaint for the violence inflicted on them and those who have filed a complaint have gone to the police stations rather than the prosecutor’s office. Women are quite hesitant about filing a complaint for several reasons including their distrust of the system, their fear that the perpetrator may do more harm if a complaint is made, their hesitation that the divorce proceedings will be prolonged or the perpetrator will not pay alimony and the influence of family dynamics. Women in Turkey also face other barriers to taking action, including their lack of information about the complaint procedure, the very lengthy legal procedure that follows the complaint, inadequate services for preventing violence during the investigation/lawsuit and the challenge to afford the financial burden of legal proceedings.

Secondly, the investigation process is not conducted in reasonable time in most cases, unless the suspect can be reached or even if the suspect is reached, the procedure does not move forward if the suspect does not show up to give a statement in a reasonable time. In a similar vein, the process of collecting evidence may draw out.

The trial process is also very lengthy. After the local court proceedings, that take up to 1-2 years, are over, it can take up to 2-3 years on average to conclude appealed case decisions. It can take approximately 2-3 more years for cases before the Court of Cassation. If the decision is overturned by the appeal or the Supreme Court and sent to the local Court again, the process can almost start from the beginning and sometimes the finalization of the files can take more than 10 years.

Besides, the Penal Code does not include a specific regulation for risk assessment in the context of domestic violence offense and security measures, these measures are only available in the Law No. 6284 (Law to Protect the Family and Prevent Violence against Women, adopted in 2012 to implement the Istanbul Convention). Prosecutor’s Offices, Criminal Courts and Family Courts fail to conduct risk assessment about the perpetrators who repeatedly commit violent crimes against women.

The failure or inability to execute the courts’ sentences on account of fugitive defendants results in de facto impunity. Perpetrators can easily turn fugitive after committing a crime and during the trial. Law enforcement forces do not conduct an effective search to execute the arrest warrants; arrests are made if the perpetrator is found by coincidence during a general search made via the General Information Gathering System (GBT) or while the perpetrator is accommodating at a hotel or departing from the country. Arrests for warrants are sometimes never executed and years may go by. Those who are not arrested until the statute of limitations expire have their sentence repealed.

Sentences are usually imposed at the lower limit and a discretionary mitigation (mitigation for good conduct) is applied. In Turkey, the wrongful implementation of discretionary mitigation based on general grounds and on the conduct of perpetrators during court hearings led to an amendment to the law on 12.05.2022. However, the amendment is symbolic and there is no data collected yet on how the mitigation is applied after the amendment took effect. Besides, the mitigation of sentences on account of unjust provocation results in a significant reduction in sentences based on a sexist practice. Although women’s decline of offers to reconcile or marry does not constitute an unjust action, sentences can be commuted due to unjust provocation for such reasons.

Court decisions are also influenced by the appearance and economic standards of the perpetrator. Well-dressed perpetrators with ‘a pleasant face’ who can express themselves well or who are rich and influential observably tend to get impunity, whereas perpetrators who have an unkempt appearance and are unable to express themselves easily receive sentences. It is observed that the grounds for acquittals often refer to expressions such as ‘defendant’s persistent denial of charges’; and the presumption of innocence is used as a legal cover-up for impunity.

Mitigated sentences given for the offenses of bodily harm with intent, threat and insult are usually commuted to a fine, followed by a deferment of the announcement of the verdict, as a result of which even the fine is not paid de facto. Perpetrators who do not meet the requirements of the deferment of the announcement of the verdict frequently have their sentences suspended, again resulting in de facto impunity. In the case of more serious offenses where the convict has started to serve the sentence, the full term of imprisonment is not served due to the practice of conditional release; due to legal regulations such as suspension of sentence, de facto impunity takes place even when the convict has started to serve the sentence. Unfortunately, detailed forensic statistics are not kept regarding the execution of sentences for violence against women. According to the Judicial Statistics published in 2023, the rate of deferment of the announcement of the verdict in crimes against bodily immunity is 39.5%, the rate of conviction including judicial fines and postponement provisions is 48.5 %.

Lastly, crimes that carry more severe sentences are usually accompanied by other acts of crime; however, the courts prefer to ignore these other crimes as they are relatively minor. For example, there is a tendency not to punish crimes that are committed alongside the offense of attempt to kill, such as the offenses of insult and threat. It may even be sometimes the case that no legal action is taken against offenses of insult and threat that are committed alongside the offense of bodily harm with intent.

This problem has been further exacerbated because of a new legal regulation. Law no. 7456, The Law on the Execution of Sentences, published on 15 July 2023, introduced a new regulation on the execution of sentences, as an extension of the 2020 law on the execution of sentences, which is known in public as Covid Pardon. Under this law, the periods required for entitlement to a transfer to an open prison or probation are shortened by three years. The purpose of the law on the execution of sentences is reportedly to reintegrate offenders into society; nevertheless, there are no ongoing efforts by the state, neither in theory nor in practice, to reintegrate ex-convicts into society. It is apparent that the law serves to forgive the crimes committed against women, in other words, grants offenders impunity. A case in point of how the new regulation leads to impunity in cases of violence against women is that a person convicted of sexual assault and sentenced to 13 years of imprisonment on 1 January 2023 would be entitled to be transferred to an open prison in 2029 or be placed under probation in 2031 under the previous regulation; however, according to the new regulation, the convict can be transferred to an open prison in 2026 and can be placed under probation in 2028. Another case in point concerns the offense of bodily harm with intent. Before this new law, a convict sentenced to 8 years for physical harm with intent spends only one month in a closed prison. According to the new regulation, the same convict will now be entitled to probation only after three months of jail time instead of 3 years.

Consequently, women face difficulty in filing a complaint for the crimes that fall under violence against women; they are left alone in the trial process as they do not receive the social/psychological/ legal support they need when they file a complaint. Lack of access to information and support required to achieve a ‘worthwhile’ outcome after filing a complaint and the lack of cooperation between institutions in combating male violence lead to secondary victimization. Women who struggle to free themselves of male violence endure psychological, social and economic damages when they attempt to initiate a legal procedure. This results in these crimes going even unrecorded despite the repeated violence inflicted by the perpetrators, ultimately paving the way for perpetrators to attempt to kill women.” (Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Juli 2024, S. 8-11)

Eine aktuellere Stellungnahme der Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation vom Oktober 2024 auf Türkisch finden Sie unter folgendem Link:

·      Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation: Kadına yönelik şiddet ve cezasızlık, 18. Oktober 2024
https://morcati.org.tr/basin-aciklamalari/kadina-yonelik-siddet-ve-cezasizlik/

·      USDOS - US Department of State: 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Turkey (Türkiye), 23. April 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2107634.html

„Rape and Domestic Violence: The law criminalized gender-based violence and sexual assault, including rape of a person, and spousal and domestic or intimate partner rape, with penalties of two to 10 years’ imprisonment for conviction of attempted sexual violation and at least 12 years’ imprisonment for conviction of rape or sexual violation. Other forms of domestic and sexual violence, including so-called corrective rape of LGBTQI+ persons, were criminalized.

The law required police and local authorities to grant various levels of protection and support services to survivors of violence or those at risk of violence. It also mandated government services, such as shelter and temporary financial support, for survivors and provided for family courts to impose sanctions on perpetrators. The law provided for the establishment of violence prevention and monitoring centers to offer economic, psychological, legal, and social assistance. The government did not effectively or fully enforce these laws.

Courts regularly issued restraining orders to protect survivors, but human rights organizations reported police rarely enforced them effectively. Women’s associations also stated government counselors and police sometimes encouraged women to remain in abusive marriages at their own personal risk rather than break up families. Courts in some cases gave reduced sentences to men found guilty of committing gender-based violence, citing good behavior during the trial or ‘unjustifiable provocation’ by women as an extenuating circumstance of the crime. The criminal code allowed defendants to receive a reduced sentence if the offense was committed ‘in a state of anger or severe distress caused by an unjust act.’ […]

The government operated a nationwide domestic violence hotline and a web application called the Women Emergency Assistance Notification System that provided women with a means to report domestic violence. NGOs asserted the quality of services provided in response to calls was inadequate for survivors of domestic violence and that women were at times directed to mediation centers or told to reconcile with their husbands.

Other Forms of Gender-based Violence or Harassment: There were occasional reports of so-called honor killings of women, mainly in the southeast of the country. The criminal code prescribed life imprisonment for killings perpetrated with the motive of ‘custom,’ but NGOs reported courts often reduced actual sentences due to mitigating factors, including ‘unjustifiable provocation.’” (USDOS, 23. April 2024, Section 6)

·      AP News – Associated Press News: Turkey struggles to stop violence against women. At least 71 have been killed this year, 7. März 2024
https://apnews.com/article/turkey-women-killings-femicide-abuse-bd261ad004ded6a8b7ca32c83cab315c

„Activists allege that courts are lenient toward male abusers who claim they were provoked, express remorse or show good behavior during trials. Activists say restraining orders are often too short and those who violate them are not detained, putting women at risk.” (AP News, 7. März 2024)

Prävalenz von (häuslicher) Gewalt gegen Frauen in der Türkei

·      HRW – Human Rights Watch: World Report 2025 - Türkiye, 16. Jänner 2025
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2120045.html

„The impact of Türkiye’s March 20, 2021 withdrawal by presidential decree from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) was reflected in continuing government failure to take adequate measures to curb Türkiye’s high incidence of gender-based violence and femicides. While the interior minister announced in July that 166 women victims of violence had been killed by men in the first six months of 2024, research by independent media organization Bianet put the number at 193.“ (HRW, 16. Jänner 2025)

·      We Will Stop Femicides Platform: 2024 Annual Report, 9. Jänner 2025
https://kadincinayetlerinidurduracagiz.net/veriler/3130/we-will-stop-femicides-platform-2024-annual-report

„As the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, we have been recording data on femicide since 2010. 2024 was a record-breaking year for femicides in Turkey. With 394 femicides and 258 suspicious deaths of women, we witnessed the highest number of femicides since we started keeping data. […]

In 2024, 280 women were killed by the man they were married to, their father, son or a relative. […]

226 of the women were killed at their homes, 76 in the middle of the street, 13 in a deserted place, 13 in a public space, 13 in a car, 10 at their workplace, 6 on a waterfront, 5 in a field, 4 in an hotel, 3 in an entertainment venue and 5 in other places. It could not be determined where 20 women were killed. 57% of the women killed this month were killed in their homes.” (We Will Stop Femicides Platform, 9. Jänner 2025)

·      BAMF – Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (Deutschland): Briefing Notes Summary, 31. Dezember 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2120404/TUR_July-December2024_en.pdf

„48 femicides in October 2024

In its monthly report on violent crimes against women, the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, a Turkish women's rights organisation, stated on 05.11.24 that a total of 48 women had been killed by men in Türkiye in October 2024. Of the 48 murdered women, the report reveals that 24 were killed by their husbands or boyfriends, three by their former spouses, six by acquaintances and 11 by relatives. In addition, ten women were reportedly killed for wishing to make decisions about their own lives. This category concerns situations such as requests for divorce, rejecting reconciliation with their life partners or rejecting a proposal for marriage or a romantic relationship. The murders sparked demonstrations, in particular in a number of towns and cities on 05.10.24, at which protesters demanded an end to violence against women and called on the government to take measures against such violence. According to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, at least 295 women were killed in the first nine months of 2024 and at least 1,499 women were killed from 2020 to September 2024. In addition, according to information from the ministry for labour, social and family affairs, between January 2013 and July 2024 more than 1.4 million women claimed to have been exposed to domestic violence and to have sought help from state centres for the prevention of violence (ŞÖNİM).” (BAMF, 31. Dezember 2024, S. 11-12)

·      UN Human Rights Committee: Concluding observations on the second periodic report of Türkiye [CCPR/C/TUR/CO/2], 28. November 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2120309/g2420766.pdf

„The Committee is concerned about the very high number of femicides and other killings in the context of domestic violence and in the context of so-called honour crimes, as well as about the lack of effective prevention, protection measures, effective investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators. The Committee is concerned about reports of the normalization of violence against women, which might have been encouraged by the withdrawal of the State party from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in 2021. The Committee expresses its concern about credible reports of violence, including sexual violence, against women in detention centres and about the lack of access to medical care of women suspected of being linked to the Gülen movement.“ (UN Human Rights Committee, 28. November 2024, S. 4)

·      Europäische Kommission: Türkiye 2024 Report [SWD(2024) 696 final], 30. Oktober 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2117538/Türkiye Report 2024.pdf 

„The number of femicides – where women are killed because of their gender – continued to be high, with at least 315 in 2023 and at least 32 in April 2024 alone. There is no comprehensive data collection system in this area. Deep-rooted cultural norms and persisting gender stereotypes continue to hinder progress towards gender equality.” (Europäische Kommission, 30. Oktober 2024, S. 34)

·      DW – Deutsche Welle: Turkey faces spate of brutal murders of women, 19. Oktober 2024
https://www.dw.com/en/outrage-in-turkey-over-spate-of-brutal-murders-of-women/a-70542846

„’Violence against women is not new,’ said Esin Izel Uysal, a lawyer for We Will Stop Femicides Platform of Turkey told DW. ‘But it has taken on a new dimension. The crimes are becoming more brutal, and the victims and perpetrators are getting younger.’

The platform recorded 295 murders of women by men and 184 suspicious deaths in the first nine months of this year. In 2023, there were 315 murders and 248 suspicious deaths. If women allegedly fall from balconies or windows or commit suicide for no known reason, the cases are considered suspicious.

Uysal said that violence against women is on the rise, particularly the number of suspicious deaths, which rose by 82% between 2017 and 2023. She said that violence usually took place in the victims' homes but that violence on the streets was also increasing. She added that in most cases the perpetrators were partners, ex-partners or relatives. This year, 65% of the perpetrators asked said that they had killed women because they had said they wanted to separate or refused to marry them.” (DW, 19. Oktober 2024)

·      AW – The Arab Weekly: Hundreds protest in Turkey over violence against women, 14. Oktober 2024
https://www.thearabweekly.com/hundreds-protest-turkey-over-violence-against-women

„One monitoring group says there have been 299 women murdered this year in the country of 85 million people, with another 160 suspect killings officially classed as suicides or accidents.” (AW, 14. Oktober 2024)

·      Politico: Outrage over murders of women forces Turkey’s Erdoğan to harden laws, 10. Oktober 2024
https://www.politico.eu/article/outrage-murder-women-turkey-erdogan-feminicide-laws-ak-party/

„Violence against women is a widespread crime in Turkey — with almost 300 women murdered so far this year — but protesters have long felt the ruling Islamist AK Party does not view women’s safety as a political priority. […]

According to The Monument Counter, a digital platform that updates the unofficial numbers of women killed in the country, 297 women have been killed in 2024 so far. The toll was 416 in 2023.” (Politico, 10. Oktober 2024)

·      SCF – Stockholm Center for Freedom: Over 1.4 million women in Turkey have reported domestic violence since 2013, 10. September 2024
https://stockholmcf.org/over-1-4-million-women-in-turkey-have-reported-domestic-violence-since-2013/

„More than 1.4 million women in Turkey reported being subjected to domestic violence between January 2013 and July 2024, the Birgün daily reported, citing data from the Family and Social Services Ministry, Turkish Minute reported.

According to Birgün, an average of 10,343 women per month of the total 1,437,688 women have reported experiencing domestic violence to the ministry’s Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers (ŞÖNİM) over the past 10-and-a-half years.

Between 2013 and 2018, the total number of women who applied to ŞÖNİM was 271,058. However, this figure saw a dramatic increase, rising to 164,945 in 2019 alone. The number of women reporting domestic violence increased to 255,515 in 2021 and to 273,222 in 2023, the data showed. […]

According to the We Will Stop Femicide Platform (Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu), which monitors domestic violence in Turkey, 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.

The platform argues the number of women killed by men in Turkey has increased since Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty that requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting perpetrators of domestic violence and similar abuse as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation.” (SCF, 10. September 2024)

·      AP News – Associated Press News: Turkey struggles to stop violence against women. At least 71 have been killed this year, 7. März 2024
https://apnews.com/article/turkey-women-killings-femicide-abuse-bd261ad004ded6a8b7ca32c83cab315c

„At least 403 women were killed in Turkey last year, most of them by current or former spouses and other men close to them, according to the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, a group that tracks gender-related killings and provides support to victims of violence.

So far this year 71 women have been killed in Turkey, including seven on Feb. 27 — the highest known number of such killings there on a single day.” (AP News, 7. März 2024)

·      Freedom House: Freedom in the World 2024 - Turkey, 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2105043.html 

„Turkey’s gender-based violence and femicide rates are among the world’s highest, and women’s rights activists largely blame this environment on a culture of impunity enabled by the government and judiciary. Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, an international treaty to prevent gender-based violence, in 2021 removed key legal protections for women facing domestic abuse. Police are reluctant to intervene in domestic disputes and few women’s shelters exist. Erdoğan and the AKP [Justice and Development Party] consistently campaign to dissuade women from seeking divorce and to bear at least three children.” (Freedom House, 2024)

·      USDOS - US Department of State: 2023 Country Report on Human Rights Practices: Turkey (Türkiye), 23. April 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2107634.html

„Gender-based violence, including domestic and intimate partner violence, remained a serious and widespread problem both in rural and urban areas. Women’s rights advocates asserted there were not enough shelters to meet the demand for assistance and shelter staff did not provide adequate care and services, particularly in the southeast of the country. Lack of services was more acute for elderly women and LGBTQI+ women as well as for women with older children.” (USDOS, 23. April 2024)

Verfügbarkeit von Gewaltpräventions- und Unterstützungseinrichtungen und Zugang zu Frauenhäusern

·      Ekmek ve gül: Aile ve Sosyal Hizmetler Bakanlığı bütçesi komisyonda | 1 yılda 1 tane bile sığınmaevi açamadı, 27. November 2024
https://ekmekvegul.net/gundem/aile-ve-sosyal-hizmetler-bakanligi-butcesi-komisyonda-1-yilda-1-tane-bile-siginmaevi-acamadi

Ekmek ve gül berichtet im November 2024, dass es 2023 in der Türkei 149 Frauenhäuser gegeben habe. Für 2024 sei die Eröffnung eines weiteren angekündigt worden, die jedoch nicht erfolgt sei. Für 2025 seien zwei neue Frauenhäuser geplant, allerdings seien diese im Jahresplan der Präsidentschaft nicht aufgeführt. Zudem solle eines der bestehenden Frauenhäuser in eine spezialisierte Einrichtung umgewandelt werden (Ekmek ve gül, 27. November 2024).

·      T24: Kadına yönelik şiddet artarken sığınma evleri yetersiz kalıyor, 2. Oktober 2024
https://t24.com.tr/haber/kadina-yonelik-siddet-artarken-siginma-evleri-yetersiz-kaliyor,1187263

T24 berichtet im Oktober 2024, dass in der Türkei ein Mangel an Schutzunterkünften für Frauen herrsche. Die Zahl der Schutzunterkünfte des Ministeriums für Familie und Sozialdienste sei in den vergangenen sechs Jahren lediglich von 110 auf 112 gestiegen. Dies reiche nicht aus, um den Bedarf zu decken. Obwohl gesetzlich vorgeschrieben sei, dass jede Gemeinde mit mehr als 100.000 Einwohnern ein Frauenhaus einrichten müsse, hielten sich viele Gemeinden nicht an diese Verpflichtung (T24, 2. Oktober 2024).

·      ECRE – European Council on Refugees and Exiles: Country Report: Türkiye; 2023 Update, August 2024
https://asylumineurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AIDA-TR_2023-Update.pdf 

„Survivors of gender-based violence are referred to Centres for the Elimination and Monitoring of Violence (Şiddet Önleme ve İzleme Merkezi, ŞÖNİM) which are run by the Ministry of Family and Social Services. There are other shelters managed by municipalities or NGOs. In 2023, in total there are 149 women's shelters with a capacity of 3,650; 112 shelters affiliated with the Ministry in 81 provinces provided services with a capacity of 2,805; 33 women's shelters affiliated with municipalities in 13 provinces with a capacity of 735; 1 women's shelter affiliated with NGOs with a capacity of 20; and 3 women's shelters affiliated with PMM [Presidency of Migration Management] with a capacity of 90. The number of existing women's shelters, managed by the municipalities and their capacities are not sufficient. In 2023, to maintain women's shelter services in Hatay, which was affected by the earthquake, 3 containers were provided, furnishing support was given to shelters in need. There are now two dedicated facilities for survivors of human trafficking: one operated by PMM for women in Kırıkkale with 12 places, and another shelter for women operated by the municipality of Ankara with 30 places. LGBTIQ+ victims can also access to these facilities.” (ECRE, August 2024, S. 104)

·      CoE-ECSR – Council of Europe - European Committee of Social Rights: European Social Charter (Revised); European Committee of Social Rights Conclusions 2023; Türkiye, März 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2110048/Conclusions 2023 TÜRKIYE EN 2770-8492-7241.1.docx.pdf 

„The report also indicates that ‘Contact Points for Combating Violence’ / ‘anti-violence contact points’ have been established in Social Service Centres, which are numerous in the districts of each province. The aim of these centres is to provide victims of violence with services operating 24/7 in 393 contact points and 149 women's shelters throughout Turkey.

In this regard, the HRA [Human Rights Association] indicates in its comments that the number of contact points is very insufficient. The HRA states that the large number of types of municipalities, listed by the Ministry of the Interior (in the report), shows that there are not enough contact points for the protection of women and that there are not enough shelters for women.

Additionally, the Partnership Network indicates that the number of shelters and the social work conducted in the shelters are inadequate. It also notes the lack of specific social work for children. Moreover, the impact of domestic violence on children is not visible as there are no mechanisms for children to seek help in cases of domestic violence. For example, it states that boys over the age of 12 are not allowed to stay in shelters with their mothers, forcing women to continue living in violent environments.” (CoE-ECSR, März 2024, S. 28)

·      Ministry of Family and Social Services, Republic of Türkiye: Women in Türkiye, Juli 2023

 https://www.aile.gov.tr/media/142380/women-in-tu-rkiye_july-2023.pdf

„The women’s shelters were given under the responsibility of General Directorate on the Status of Women with the Statutory Decree No. 633 and there are still 112 women’s shelters under the Ministry of Family and Social Services; 3 women’s shelter affiliated with the Ministry of Interior General Directorate of Migration Management, 1 shelter owned by NGOs, and 33 shelters under local administrations. A total of 149 shelters provide services with a capacity of 3.624 people. In addition, with the letter dated 17.07.2023, the opening approval for the 2nd women’s guesthouse affiliated to our Ministry in Şanlıurfa province has been received with a capacity of 25 and will be put into service in 2023. […]

From Women’s Shelters;

·        In 2017, 56.988 people in total received comprised of 33.413 women and 23.575 accompanying children received service.

·        In 2018, a total of 63.536 persons received service, including 36.767 women and 26.769 children accompanying them.

·        In 2019, a total of 73.001 persons received service, including 42.843 women and 30.158 children accompanying them.

·        As of 31 December 2020, a total of 55,882 people received service, including 35,331 women and 20,551 children accompanying them. In 2021, a total of 87,595 people received service, including 61,167 women and 26,428 accompanying children.

·        In 2021, a total of 87,595 people received services, including 61,167 women and 26,428 accompanying children.

·        In 2022, 80,910 people received services, including 48,018 women and 32,892 accompanying children.

·        In 2023 (as of July), 44,536 people received services, including 27,078 women and 17,458 accompanying children.” (Ministry of Family and Social Services, Juli 2023, S. 98-99)

Einschränkungen und Versorgungsdefizite beim Zugang zu Frauenhäusern

·      T24: Kadına yönelik şiddet artarken sığınma evleri yetersiz kalıyor, 2. Oktober 2024
https://t24.com.tr/haber/kadina-yonelik-siddet-artarken-siginma-evleri-yetersiz-kaliyor,1187263

Laut T24 würden Frauen, die in Schutzunterkünften untergebracht seien, von schwierigen Bedingungen berichten. Eine Betroffene habe angegeben, dass sich ihr psychischer Zustand während ihres einjährigen Aufenthalts im Frauenhaus verschlechtert habe, da sie sich nicht ausreichend unterstützt gefühlt habe. Eine weitere Frau habe erklärt, dass das Personal den Bewohnerinnen das Gefühl vermittele, von ihnen abhängig zu sein, und dass politische Diskussionen untersagt seien, was als belastend empfunden werde (T24, 2. Oktober 2024).

·      CAT – UN Committee Against Torture: Concluding observations on the fifth periodic report of Türkiye [CAT/C/TUR/CO/5], 14. August 2024
https://www.ecoi.net/en/file/local/2119245/G2413344.pdf 

„The Committee is concerned about allegations that preventive and protective cautionary orders are not granted for sufficient periods of time, that complaints of gender-based and domestic violence are frequently dismissed, in particular in rural areas and when involving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals, and that the provision of shelter accommodation is discriminatory towards older women and women with teenage sons or children with disabilities (arts. 2, 12–13 and 16).” (CAT, 14. August 2024)

·      ECRE – European Council on Refugees and Exiles: Country Report: Türkiye; 2023 Update, August 2024
https://asylumineurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/AIDA-TR_2023-Update.pdf 

„Another related practical limitation is that, although the law clearly provides that both women at risk of violence and women who have actually been subjected to violence should be able to access shelters, in practice due to capacity problems only women who have actually been subjected to violence are offered access to existing shelters. In most cases, shelters also inquire into the women’s claim to ascertain that violence is ‘certain’ and request evidence such as an assault report or a criminal investigation, although practice is not uniform across the country. In South-Eastern Anatolia, the need for women’s shelters is very high. Due to capacity problems, some shelters give priority to women with an assault report or a criminal investigation, which is very difficult for refugee/asylum-seeking women. As a rule, women placed in shelters can stay in the facility for up to six months. Even if they are lucky enough to find a place in a women’s shelter, they generally return to the house where they experienced violence at the end of six months. Protection and prevention mechanisms in cases of SGBV/GBV [Sexual Gender Based Violence / Gender Based Violence] against refugee women in Türkiye do not work effectively. […]

The Women Shelters Regulation issued in 2013 also clearly indicates that for a woman to be admitted to a shelter, she is not required to provide a valid identity document. However, a Temporary Protection Identification Document is required of women seeking to be admitted to shelters in practice. To admit applicants in 2023, some women's shelters required registration with the municipality and a valid identification number. In 2023, in some cities, women who were victims of SGBV had their applications taken, and they could access protection immediately. In some small towns, some ŞÖNİMs (shelters) accept refugee women even without a criminal complaint reported against the perpetrator. However, in Ankara, the shelter requires a criminal complaint and the ID card of the applicant.

Conditions in shelters are restrictive and many migrant women leave after a short period of time due to discrimination and psychological violence from other women. LGBTQI+ women are automatically excluded from these shelters.” (ECRE, August 2024, S. 191)

·      Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation: Shadow Report to be submitted to the Committee against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, Juli 2024
https://insanhaklariizleme.org/vt/yayin_view.php?editid1=2809

„In regards to shelters and alternative solutions in case it is necessary, according to the regulations that determine the operation of shelters in Turkey, women with sons over the age of 12 or disabled children and women over the age of 60 cannot benefit from shelter services. Furthermore, the alternatives offered to these women do not encompass specialized services for combating violence, and in practice, it is observed that the alternatives outlined in the regulations do not work effectively. For women with sons over the age of 12, an alternative is often suggested that they place their children in state care to be able to go to a shelter. However, both the child and the woman entering the protection system do not receive any specific support in this special situation, and women also have to fight to meet the conditions required to retrieve their children from the institution. In Turkey, existing services for the elderly are already quite inadequate, so there is no equivalent alternative offered for women over the age of 60. In addition to the common violations seen in the admission of shelters, there are also violations that are accepted as norms and are repeatedly committed. It is observed in practice that migrant and refugee women, as well as women residing in other cities, are not systematically admitted to shelters, although it is not specified in the regulations. As an alternative for women residing in other cities, they are often advised to return to the cities where the abusers are located, from which they have escaped. There is no alternative provided for migrant and refugee women. Women who go to shelters cannot access the social services they need to build new lives free from violence. Security measures are taken in shelters that restrict women's freedoms and create conditions that make it impossible to start a new life. Conditions such as security personnel and cameras both outside and inside the building, strict monitoring of entry and exit times, prohibition of phone use, and body searches upon entering the building are often likened by women to prison conditions. On the other hand, individual security risk analysis and security plans are not prepared for women. The accounts of women who receive support from Mor Çatı while staying in shelters affiliated with ŞÖNİMs (Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers) show that the shelters do not offer any support in helping them rebuild their lives. When their term of stay is over, they are dismissed from the shelter without any risk analysis.

ŞÖNİMs are defined as the centers where supportive and empowering consultancy, guidance, referral, and monitoring services are provided for the prevention of violence and the effective implementation of protective and preventive measures. However, in the 12-year period since the establishment of ŞÖNİMs, there are still difficulties in the functioning of these support mechanisms. One of the major issues is that the law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office are defined as the first point of application and that ŞÖNİMs are placed in the secondary position and are not defined as an institution that will provide holistic and specialized support through listening to the story of violence against women. Women do not apply to ŞÖNİMs for purposes such as consultancy, guidance, psychological support, legal support etc. and, in fact, that they were not even aware that ŞÖNİMs exist. Since the reception into shelters are de facto done by law enforcement and women are referred to law enforcement even when they reach out to ŞÖNİMs, directing women to ŞÖNİM in cases of emergency causes them to repeatedly recount their experiences and, therefore, is not preferred. Other common problems encountered by women applying to ŞÖNİMs is that they get incorrect or incomplete information; ŞÖNİM employees attempt conciliation and they have a deterrent, accusatory, and judgmental attitude toward women. An 18-year-old woman stated that she sought assistance from ŞÖNİM due to the familial pressure to abandon her education. However, she was told ‘You are young, your family will be upset, so go back home, prepare for your exam at home and go to university. Anyway, you cannot come to the shelter here, you need to go somewhere else. They will find about you anyways’. She was not informed that she could go to a shelter in a different city. Thus, ŞÖNİMs do not ensure the necessary inter-institutional coordination and provide holistic support to women.” (Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation, Juli 2024, S. 5-6)

·      Association for Struggle against Sexual Violence: Alternative (Shadow) Report to the Committee against Torture Concerning the Review of Turkey's Fifth Periodic Report; 80th Session of the Committee against Torture (July 8 - 24, 2024), 5. Juni 2024
https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/TreatyBodyExternal/DownloadDraft.aspx?key=YT9VK9E6jAj6S4CPg6EyUo1cE7k2ok2BrdLi7vTp6B09pwYWwYzlf6NwbrY8qRjf1FJfzb8eHmdKuzAJ79IL5Q==

„Looking at the Committee's recommendations to Turkey in 2016, it is unclear how the recommendation in Article 46 (c) ‘Ensure that all women victims of violence have access to shelters and receive the necessary medical care and psychological support’ has been implemented. There are current cases of women's complaints about the shelters provided by the state, such as inadequate and unhealthy shelter conditions, the shelter address being shared by a police officer, yet no action is being taken against the police officer. […]

A woman residing in a shelter described the living conditions, stating that the conditions were poor, they were treated as if they were criminals, and when they wanted to file complaints about these conditions, their complaints were ignored. […]

In a domestic violence case, it was claimed that the address of the shelter where the woman was sent was disclosed to the perpetrator by a police officer who was allegedly a friend of the perpetrator. Normally, the addresses of shelters are confidential and are not shared under any circumstances. No action was taken against the police officer who shared the address of the shelter with the perpetrator.” (Association for Struggle against Sexual Violence, 5. Juni 2024, S. 14)

Ältere Informationen zu häuslicher Gewalt in der Türkei und zur Situation von Frauen, die von Gewalt betroffen, sind finden Sie in folgender Anfragebeantwortung von ACCORD:

·      ACCORD - Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation: Anfragebeantwortung zur Türkei: Informationen zu häuslicher Gewalt in der Türkei und zur Situation von Frauen, die von Gewalt betroffen sind [a 11751], 29. November 2021
https://www.ecoi.net/de/dokument/2064539.html