MALE VIOLENCE MONITORING REPORT
Men kill 36 women in March
* Infographic: Yağmur Karagöz / bianet - Photo: İrem Afşin
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According to the news compiled by bianet from local and national newspapers, news websites and news agencies, men killed at least 36 women and raped nine women in Turkey in March 2021.
The deaths of at least 24 women (in Ankara (1), Antalya (2), Antep (1), Aydın (2), Bitlis (1), Bursa (1), Diyarbakır (1), Giresun (2), Isparta (1), İstanbul (6), Konya (2), Samsun (1), Trabzon (1), Yozgat (1), Zonguldak (1) and one unreported province (1)) were reported in the press as suspicious.
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A woman in Antalya announced that her husband was threatening her with death. Men drove one woman to suicide in İstanbul. The death of one woman in Urfa was reported in the press as "unidentified murder."
2020 - 2021In the first three months of 2020, men killed 66 women, harassed 31 women, abused 77 children, raped 20 women. Men forced at least 338 women to sex work and inflicted violence on at least 145 women. In the first three months of 2021, men killed 91 women, harassed 29 women, abused 41 children, raped 30 women. Men forced at least 198 women to sex work and inflicted bodily harm and violence on at least 185 women. In the first three months of 2021, the deaths of 61 women were reported in the press as "suspicious" and men killed at least six children in the first three months of the year. |
Feminicide/Murder
In March 2021, men killed at least 36 women and four men who were with the women. Last March, this number was 25.
Three women killed by men had a protection or restraining order. One of the women killed by men was a transgender woman. One man left the prison 'on leave' and killed a woman.
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Women killed by men in March 2021 Aysel Y., Bedia A., Bensu Narlı, Beyzanur F., Cennet A., Ceyda Ö., Elif Atay, Fatma Kovan, Gamze G., Gülbahar Asabay, Gülsen Işık G., Halime Türkaslan, Hanım Pınarlı, Hatice Ş., Hatice Y., Havva Yılmaz, Hüsna T., İslim A., Mediha A., Meral S., Mervenur Polat, Miraş Güneş, Nagihan Üste, Nebahat K., Necla Demirbaş, Nuran K., Rabia D., Reyhan K., Seher E., Serap T., Serpil F., Serpil Pala, Sevcan D., Sultan A., Yeter Yılmaz, Teyo. |
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Provinces where men killed women Adana (3), Aksaray (1), Ankara (1), Antalya (5), Aydın (2), Denizli (3), Diyarbakır (2), Düzce (1), İstanbul (4), İzmir (6), Kayseri (1), Kocaeli (1), Mardin (1), Muğla (1), Niğde (1), Osmaniye (1), Tekirdağ (1), Van (1). |
The "excuses" of men for killing 20 women were not reported in the press. Men killed 10 women because "they wanted to break up/rejected reconciliation", two women for "burglary/theft", one woman because of "honor" and three women because of a "hostility" with other men.
In March, 23 women were killed by their husbands, boyfriends, fiances or ex-husbands. Seven women were killed by their family members such as elder brothers and sons, while one woman was killed by burglars/thieves and one woman was killed by her neighbor. The relation between four women and 12 men who killed them was not reported in the press.
Men killed 10 women in places outside the house such as on the street or in a car park and 23 women inside the house. The scenes of incidents where men killed three women were not reported in the news.
Men killed 20 women with firearms and eight women with sharp objects. Men killed two women by strangling them, one woman by throwing her out of the balcony, one woman by battering her and one woman by burning her. The method of killing in one feminicide was not reported in the news.
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Judicial process Only 25 male perpetrators who killed women were arrested. Two perpetrators were released from detention. Eight perpetrators were detained. Five perpetrators committed suicide. While the judicial process of one perpetrator was not reported in the press, that of four perpetrators was reported in the news as "wanted." |
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Previously committed feminicides reported in the press in March The suspicious death of Samira Rashidyan was indicated in the bianet male violence monitoring report on February 2. It was understood in March that the woman was killed by a man named P.E. The police identified him; P.E. was arrested afterwards. Suspicious deaths reported in the press in March In İstanbul, Güner T. (47) fell off the balcony of her house for an unknown reason. An investigation was launched into the incident that occured on February 9. In Kocaeli, Emriye Ö. (56) was found dead in barn. In Bingöl, Merve A. (19) was found dead in the apart-hotel where she was staying. The police launched an investigation. |
Murder of children
In March 2021, men killed at least four children. One child was killed by the father, two children were killed by the father of their friends, one child was killed by her husband whom she was forced to marry at an early age.
One man posted the images where he was battering a child. The death of one child in Samsun was reported in the press as suspicious.
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Names of children killed by men H.K., Tunç T., Kaan H., Sezen Ünlü |
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Provinces where men killed children Konya (1), Çorum (2), İzmir (1) |
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Judicial process Two perpetrators were detained, one perpetrator was arrested. |
Sexual assault/Rape
According to the news compiled by bianet from local and national newspapers, news websites and news agencies, men raped at least nine women in March 2021. Last March, no news of rape was reported.
One of the women raped by men was a trans woman. While one woman had mental disabilities, one woman was a citizen of Korea. While the relation of the man with four women that he sexually assaulted was not reported in the press, one woman was sexually assaulted by her flatmate, one woman by her colleague, one woman by her father and one woman by a bus driver.
Men sexually assaulted three women inside the house and three women in places outside the house such as on the street and on a bus. The scenes of three incidents of sexual assault were not reported in the news.
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Provinces where men raped women Çorlu (1), Dersim (1), İstanbul (3), Manisa (1), Mersin (1), Siirt (1), Trabzon (1) |
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Judicial process There were at least nine perpetrators who raped women. Only six perpetrators were arrested. Two perpetrators were released from detention. The judicial process of one perpetrator was not reported in the press. |
Harassment
Men harassed at least 11 women in March 2021. Last March, this number was 10.
Seven women were harassed by five male strangers. One woman was harassed by her employer, one woman by her colleague, one woman by a director and one woman was harassed by a park manager.
Men harassed seven women verbally and physically and four women by showing them their sexual organs.
Men harassed eight women in places outside the house such as on the street and at a bus stop. While one woman was harassed inside the house, the scene of one incident was not reported in the press.
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Provinces where men harassed women Ankara (1), Antalya (1), Bursa (1), Isparta (1), İstanbul (5), Manisa (1), Nevşehir (1), |
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Judicial process There were six perpetrators who harassed women. Only two were arrested. Three perpetrators were detained. The judicial process of one incident was not reported in the press. |
Child abuse
Men abused at least 25 children, including boys, in March 2021. Last March, this number was 23.
21 children were abused by 30 male strangers. Two children were abused by their fathers and paternal uncles and two children were abused by a teacher and canteen employee.
Men abused eight children in places outside the house such as on the street, at school and in the toilet of a mosque, while they abused two children on social media. The scenes of incidents where 15 children were abused by men were not reported in the press.
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Provinces where men abused children Ankara (2), Antalya (2), Aydın (1), Bursa (1), Hatay (1), İstanbul (5), İzmir (1), Kocaeli (1), Konya (2), Manisa (1), Maraş (1), Mersin (2), Sakarya (2), Tekirdağ (1), Zonguldak (1) and an unreported province (1). |
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Judicial process There were 34 perpetrators who abused children. Only six perpetrators were arrested. 24 perpetrators were detained. Three perpetrators were released. The judicial process of one perpetrator was reported in the news as "wanted." |
Violence/Injury
Men inflicted violence on at least 68 women in March. Last March, this number was 46.
Eight women who were subjected to male violence were hospitalized as "critically" ill. There were also trans women among the women subjected to male violence. Men were systematically inflicting violence on two women.
One woman subjected to male violence was from Russia and one woman was from Somalia. One woman was not a citizen of Turkey, but no information was reported in the press as to her citizenship status.
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Provinces where men inflicted violence on women Adana (3), Ankara (4), Antalya (3), Aydın (1), Bilecik (1), Bursa (2), Çorum (1), Düzce (3 ), Edirne (18), Erzurum (1), İstanbul (10), İzmir (2), Karabük (2), Kocaeli (2), Kütahya (1), Muğla (1), Niğde (1), Sakarya (1), Samsun (1), Sinop (1), Tekirdağ (2), Trabzon (1), Urfa (1), Zonguldak (1) The provinces where men inflicted violence on three women were not reported in the press. |
At least 53 women were subjected to violence by their husbands, boyfriends and fiances. Seven women were subjected to violence by their family members such as fathers and sons, while the relation between male perpetrators and at least eight women were not reported.
Men inflicted violence on five women "because they wanted to break up". One woman was subjected to male violence "out of jealousy". The "excuses" of men for inflicting violence on 62 women were not reported in the press.
Men injured 56 women by battering them, two women by burning them, four women with sharp objects and six women with firearms.
Men inflicted violence on 35 women inside the house and on 19 women in places outside the house such as on the street or in a hotel. The scenes of incidents where 14 women were subjected to male violence in March 2021 were not reported in the press.
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Judicial process Only six perpetrators were arrested. At least 11 perpetrators were detained. Three perpetrators were released from detention. A "restraining" order was issued for at least four perpetrators. An investigation was launched against 11 perpetrators. The judicial processes of at least four perpetrators were reported in the press as "fled" or "wanted". The judicial processes of at least 29 perpetrators were not reported in the press. |
Forced sex work
In March 2021, men forced at least 66 women to do sex work. Last March, this number was 83. 27 women who were forced to do sex work were not citizens of Turkey.
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Judicial process There were at least 50 perpetrators who forced women to do sex work. Only 26 perpetrators were arrested. 24 perpetrators were detained. |
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Explanation The bianet Male Violence Monitoring Report only covers women who lost their lives as a result of male violence. We do not include any violence cases or crimes that are not gender-based. Throughout the year, we keep track of unidentified murders and suspicious deaths of women in separate monthly tallies but do not add them to the number presented in the headline. At the end of the year, we examine these cases of unidentified murders and suspicious deaths to determine whether the crimes were gender-based. We add the gender-based incidents into the report. We do not include any murders in the reports that are committed by people with psychological disorders (such as murders committed by people with schizophrenia). We include suicide or suicide attempt incidents in the tally only if the woman was subjected to violence/ systematic violence in her past. We cover these suicide incidents in a separate category and do not add suicide cases to the number presented in the headline. In addition, we don't include femicide cases that occur in a mass murder in which the woman was not directly targeted under the condition that the debated incident is not gender based either. Occupations of the offenders only included in the reports when the incident of violence is related to the occupation of the offender. For example, "Woman was murdered at home by his husband, who is a professional soldier." We add the violence committed on children by men, to make the extent of violence visible. |
(EMK/SD-VK)
Editor of bianet Women’s News (2018). Editor of bianet Women’s and LGBTI+ News from October 2018 to February 2025. She conducts workshops on gender-focused journalism and reporting on gender-based violence. She is among the founders of the Women and LGBTI+ Commission of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS). She is a board member of the TGS Istanbul Branch for the 2023–2027 term. She received the Musa Anter Journalism Award in 2011 and the Turkish Psychiatric Association’s Best News Award in 2024. She worked as a reporter for Cumhuriyet, BirGün, İMC TV, DİHA, Jinha, and Jin News, and also worked for local newspapers in Rize. Her news reports and articles have been published in Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo, and trade magazines. She is one of the founding writers of GOR, a Hemşin culture magazine. She contributed writings to the books Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, and Medya ve Yalanlar. She was a bianet intern in 2000. She graduated from the Department of International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University.
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