Çingene Gül, a trans woman, has been found dead in her Istanbul apartment last night.
While an autopsy has yet to be completed, it is suspected that she was murdered two days ago as her friends didn’t hear from her for two days.
Neighbor Melek Emir: "Two nights ago, I heard noises from the apartment building. Gül never makes noise. At first, I thought somebody was trying to break in, then I heard the door open and close. I supposed Gül couldn't find her keys or something. I never reckoned such thing would ever happen." |
The street of Gül’s apartment is crowded after her friends didn’t hear of her for two days. All women in the neighborhood recognize Gül. “She was smiling all the time, she would greet everyone on the street. She wouldn’t disturb anybody.”
Gül’s trans friends are arguing with the police in order to see her one last time. Police said they could do so in small groups providing that they wouldn’t cry out, touch her or bring disorder to the crime scene.
Her friends claim that trans sex workers are usually murdered by their clients - which was also the fate of Gül. They also said Gül didn’t receive customer in her apartment and would prefer using hotels or other venues. They also bring up burglary allegations. However, police say that they can’t know that yet.
Utku who found Gül's body: "I went to her apartment after not hearing from her. I knocked on the window, I tried the buzz, but she didn't respond. Then her upstairs neighbor buzzed me into the building the door. I had to break though Gül's apartment by the backyard. She wasn't in her bedroom. When I went to the living room, I ran away screaming." |
Taxi drivers also recognize Gül. “She was our regular customer,” they said. One driver said: “Gül was a good person and a good customer. It cost 7 liras to go to Tarlabaşı, she would always pay 10. We kicked our heels a lot. There are a lot people who do her [sex worker] profession in Kurtuluş. Those who call us after midnight usually do this job. But I never saw somebody enter her apartment before, she would always return alone. She doesn’t have a boyfriend or something? Maybe it is jealousy?”
“We were only informed of somebody’s death. She was murdered with a sharp object. She had cuts in her face and body,” said the police.
There are two security cameras located in the building adjascent to Gül’s apartment. However, neighbors claimed that they were out of order. Some women also complained about theft cases in the neighborhood. They want to see the cameras functioning again.
“We could know who the murderer was if they worked.”
“Even caught, the culpable will serve 3-5 years"
Ebru Kırancı from Istanbul LGBTT emphasized on the impunity:
“Trans murders are political and the state is to blame. Because we know that even if the culpable is caught, he will only serve 3 to 5 years in prison. Just like in every murder, he will say ‘I didn’t know that she was a man’ and benefit from reductions. The real murderer is the state that doesn’t make laws to protect LGBTIs.”
On April 22, Çağla Joker (25) was murdered in Beyoğlu. Sevda Başar Antep was murdered by her lover in Antep on February 19.
According to a report by Transgender Europe, between 1 January 2008 and 31 October 2013 1374 trans murders were committed in 60 countries worldwide. Turkey topped the list in Europe with 34 trans murders between 2008 and 2013. (ÇT/BM)
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
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