"How many more Women have to be Killed?"

The Platform for an End to Women Murders is continuing with a series of actions to raise public awareness against women murders that have recently increased in numbers. On Friday night (19 August), women gathered on the popular Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul for a protest march and a subsequent vigil.

The women made a press release on the killing of Kezban İncebacak who was beaten to death by her husband on 17 August. İncebacak was allegedly killed because she had forgotten the yoghurt at the meal before dawn during Ramadan.

The women criticized that İncebacak could not be protected by preventive measures, also mentioning the death of Fatma Şahin who was killed by her ex-husband two hours after their official divorce in 2008. The police only arrived at the scene when İncebacak was already wounded, it was said.

"How many more women have to die because of a lack of effective protection measures? How many more women will lose their lives holding a petition for protection in their hands?" the women questioned in the press release.

They said it was unacceptable to send the women back to their murderers after they had been threatened by their husband s and applied for protection. "The state has to protect its citizens. In this situation, permanent measures have to be taken to prevent women murders that come close to a massacre in numbers".

The platform declared to carry on their actions until no woman with a request for protection will be killed any more. (GY/VK)