MALE VIOLENCE MONITORING REPORT AUGUST 2020
Men kill 31 women in August
* Graphic and photo: Yağmur Karagöz/bianet
Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish
According to the news compiled by bianet from local and national newspapers, news websites and news agencies, men killed at least 31 women and four men who were with the women in August 2020. Men also raped 13 women and inflicted violence on at least 122 women.
CLICK - bianet male violence monitoring reports
In August, 2020, the deaths of at least 25 women (in the provinces of Maraş 2, Sivas, Ağrı 2, Mardin 2, Zonguldak 2, Urfa, Antalya 2, Hakkari, Denizli, Antep, Van, Samsun, Diyarbakır, Mersin, Trabzon 2, Konya, İzmir, İstanbul, Aydın) were reported in the press as "suspicious."
Men attempted to kill one woman in Diyarbakır and two women in Ankara. The death of one woman in Antep was reported as an "unidentified murder." Men also drove one woman to suicide in Batman and İstanbul.
|
2019-2020 Male Violence In the first eight months of 2019, men killed at least 224 women, raped 37 women, forced 367 women to sex work, harassed 152 women and abused 158 children. Men also inflicted violence on 390 women in the first eight months of 2019. In the first eight months of 2020, men killed 186 women, harassed 97 women, abused 181 children and raped 53 women. Men also forced at least 607 women to sex work and inflicted violence on at least 493 women. |
Feminicide/Murder
Men killed at least 31 women in August 2020; they killed 40 women in August 2019. One of the killed women was from the Central Asian country of Tajikistan while one woman was from Turkmenistan.
Two women applied to the police before being killed; however, no action was taken against the perpetrators. Both women were murdered despite having restraining and protection orders.
|
Women killed by men in August 2020 Altue H.E., Arzu Gül K., Aynur S., Ayşe A., Ceyda Y., Dilan T., Dilek A., Dudu Ç., Ebru T., Emine A., Esra D., Fati Z., Fatma A., Gizem F., Gülhan Ç., Hatice Ş., İkbal P., Makhfırat A., Meliha K., Merve Y., Meryem D., Naime C., Rahime G., Remziye Y., Rozygul R., Sevgi Y., Sevim S., Sibel Ş., Süreyya A.Ç., Şahime E., Yonca T. |
|
Provinces where men killed women Adana (1), Ankara (1), Antalya (2), Antep (1), Balıkesir (1), Batman (1), Denizli (1), Diyarbakır (1), Düzce (1), Eskişehir (1), İstanbul (4), İzmir (3), Kastamonu (1), Kilis (1), Kütahya (1), Manisa (1), Maraş (2), Mardin (1), Nevşehir (1), Ordu (1), Osmaniye (1), Sakarya (1), Van (1), Zonguldak (1) |
The "excuses" of men for killing 20 women were not reported in the press. Men killed four women "because they wanted to break up," they killed two women "out of jealousy," killed one woman "in a dispute over land," one woman "in a dispute over inheritance," one woman "because she did not care for children properly," one woman "for economic reasons" and one woman "while she was trying to settle a dispute."
In August, 15 women were killed by their husbands/ex-husbands, five women by their boyfriends, five women by family members such as son-in-laws, grandchildren, sons or father-in-laws, two women by their friends and one woman by her former neighbor. The acquaintance/relation between eight male perpetrators and three killed women was not reported.
Men killed 11 women inside the house while they killed 13 women in public places such as an agricultural field, gas station and street. The places where men killed seven women were not reported in the press.
In August 2020, men killed 19 women with firearms, eight women with sharp objects such as knives, axes and glass, one woman by battering, one woman by strangling and one woman by burning. The method of killing in one feminicide was not reported in the press.
|
Judicial process There were at least 36 perpetrators who killed women. Only 10 perpetrators were arrested. 19 perpetrators were detained. One perpetrator "turned himself in" while two perpetrators were reported in the press as "wanted." Two perpetrators "committed suicide" and one perpetrator was reported in the news as "fled." The judicial process of one perpetrator was not reported in the press. |
|
Previously committed feminicides/murders reported in the press in August * It was understood that the person who first attempted to rape Fadime Ş. (29), then tortured and strangled her to death with a pillow in Adana on October 2, 2002 was a man named G.Ç. (40). It was found out that the man was in prison in Northern Cyprus on rape charges. He was arrested when he came back to Turkey. * In Kütahya province, Özge S. (28) suspiciously died in the house of her family on July 23. Ö.Ç., the elder sister of the woman, said that her husband A.S. (65) and lover C.B.'s mother E.B. battered and killed her. According to Ö.Ç., E.B. forced the woman to marry A.S. last year and did not let her go from Balıkesir province, where they live, to her family in Kütahya. On July 13, A.S. called Özge S.'s father and said, "I made your daughter get on a bus and sent her." However, the father could not find his daughter in the bus terminal. Then, upon the insistence of the family, A.S. said that he sent the woman to a man named Y.A. The family found the woman partly fainted in Y.A.'s home. In that state, Özge S. said that she was tortured by A.S. and E.B. and died a few days later. * In Sakarya province, a woman named G.A. and a man named H.K. were arrested because they killed a boy named Şiar K. (9). While the mother G.A. and her lover H.K. battered and burned the child to death on April 28, the incident came into light after the two attended a television program. G.A. said that H.K. harassed and battered the child. It was then understood that the man battered Şiar K. and made him unconscious, they burned down the house thinking that the child passed away, but they burned the child to death. H.K.'s mother E.K. and brother Y.K. were also detained. |
Murder of children - Violence against children
Men killed at least four children in August. Two children were killed by their elder brothers, one child by the father and one child by the ex-boyfriend.
In Aydın province, one child was reported in the news as "missing." While a man battered his grandson in Kocaeli, a father battered his child in Tekirdağ, a neighbor battered a child in İstanbul and a step-father battered his two daughters in İzmir. The death of one child was also reported in the news as "suspicious" in Urfa in August 2020.
|
Names of children killed by men Dilan K., Taha Y., Duygu D., Nurbari M. |
|
Provinces where men killed children Antalya (1), Antep (1), Hatay (1), Urfa (1) |
|
Judicial process One perpetrator "turned himself in" and one perpetrator "committed suicide." One perpetrator was arrested. The judicial process of one perpetrator was not reported. |
Rape
In August, men raped at least 13 women. Last month, this number was six.
Two women were raped by their boyfriends while the relation/acquaintance between 11 women and male perpetrators was not reported.
Men raped five women on the street, two women in public transpor and two women at home. The scene of one incident was not reported.
One of the male perpetrators has a criminal record on 15 different charges. One man also blackmailed the woman.
|
The provinces where men raped women Adana (1), Antalya (1), İstanbul (9), Muğla (2). |
|
Judicial process Only two of 13 perpetrators were arrested. One perpetrator was released on probation. The judicial processes of two perpetrators were reported in the news as "wanted and those of two perpetrators as "facing an investigation." One perpetrator was detained. No legal action was taken against the perpetrators in three incidents of rape, protection orders were issued for the women. The judicial processes of at least two perpetrators were not reported in the news. |
Harassment
Men harassed at least 21 women in August. This figure was 14 in the same month last year.
Women did not know 14 men who harassed them. One woman was harassed by her neighbor, two women were harassed by a TV series actor, one woman was harassed by a police officer, one woman was harassed by a taxi driver, and two women were harassed by six men who were members of a political party.
Men harassed 16 women verbally and physically, three women by showing their sexual organs to them, and two women by spying.
Men harassed 10 women in places such as streets, parks and sea, two women at home, one woman at a university, two women at public transport vehicles. Where men harassed four women was not reported in the press.
|
Provinces where men harassed women Adana (3), Ankara (1), Antalya (1), Aydın (1), Çorum (2), Denizli (2), Dersim (1), Edirne (1), İstanbul (3), Karaman (1), Kütahya (2), Samsun (1), Şırnak (1), in which province men harassed women was not reported in the press. |
|
Judicial process There were at least 20 perpetrators who harassed women. Only one of them was arrested. The judicial process about seven perpetrators was not reported in the press. Three perpetrators were detained, three were released. Investigations were launched against five perpetrators who were members of political parties. A lawsuit was filed against one perpetrator. |
Child abuse
Men abused at least 20 children, including boys. This figure was 29 in the same month last year. One of the children who was abused by men had mental disabilities.
At least 10 children did not know the men who abused them. Three children were abused by their father, one child was abused by two non-commissioned military officers, one child was abused by a grocery store owner, one child was abused by a delivery person, and four children were abused by a sports trainer.
Men abused seven children in streets, agricultural fields, and public transport vehicles and three children at home. Men harassed one child on social media. Where men harassed nine children was not reported in the press.
|
Provinces where men abused children Ankara (2), Antalya (2), Denizli (1), Edirne (5), İstanbul (3), Kilis (1), Kütahya (1), Muğla (1), Sakarya (1), Van (2), in which province men abused one child was not reported in the press. |
|
Judicial process There were at least 18 perpetrators who abused children. Only four of them were arrested. At least five perpetrators were detained, a restraining order was imposed against one perpetrator. One perpetrator was dismissed from his job. Judicial proceedings were started against one perpetrator. Two perpetrators were released. Judicial processes about two perpetrators were not reported in the press. No action was taken against the two non-commissioned military officers. |
Violence/Injury
Men inflicted violence on at least 122 women. This figure was 89 in the same month last year.
Men inflicted digital violence on at least 11 women. Men threatened at least three women. One of the women was from Syria. One was not from Turkey but her nationality was not reported in the press.
One of the women who were subjected to violence from men was a trans woman. There were also health workers and a pharmacist among the women who were subjected to violence from men.
Two of the women who were subjected violence from men were admitted to the hospital in "severe" condition.
|
Provinces where men inflicted violence on women Adana (5), Aksaray (1), Ankara (3), Antalya (9), Antep (1), Artvin (1), Balıkesir (3), Bingöl (5), Bursa (4), Çorum (3), Diyarbakır (3), Edirne (18), Erzurum (1), Eskişehir (1), Hatay (1), İstanbul (12), İzmir (5), Karaman (1), Kocaeli (5), Kırşehir (1), Konya (2), Malatya (1), Manisa (1), Maraş (1), Mardin (1), Muğla (4), Nevşehir (1), Osmaniye (3), Rize (3), Sakarya (5), Samsun (2), Urfa (1), Zonguldak (1), the provinces where men inflicted violence 13 women were not reported in the press. |
At least 60 women were subjected to violence from their husbands, men they married with unofficial religious ceremonies, boyfriends and ex-boyfriends. 30 women did not know the person who inflicted violence on them. One woman was subjected to violence from a patient, one from a patient's relative, one by a business owner, one by a private security officer and 17 by family members such as the elder brother, father and son. The degree of acquaintance of 10 men who inflicted violence on women was not reported in the press.
While men's "excuses" for inflicting violence on 109 women were not reported in the press, they inflicted violence on seven women because they "did not want to make peace," two women because of "money," one woman because "she gave minced meat to cats," two women because of "jealousy," and one woman because "she did not give a report."
Men battered 72 women. They injured at least 11 women with firearms, 25 women with knives, burned three women and used digital violence against at least 11 women.
|
Judicial process There were at least 122 women who inflicted violence on women. Only three of them were arrested. The judicial processes of at least 15 perpetrators were reported as "ran away" or "wanted." 16 perpetrators were detained. Legal action was taken against 20 perpetrators. At least two perpetrators killed themselves. An electronic bracelet was put on one perpetrator. Judicial processes about at least 75 perpetrators were not reported in the press. |
Forced sex work
In August, men forced at least 50 women to sex work. This figure was 42 in the same month last year. There were girls among those who were forced to sex work.
Among the women, 47 were not citizens of Turkey. There were women who were threatened and whose passports were taken away from them.
|
Judicial process There were at least 110 perpetrators who forced women to sex work. Only 13 of them were arrested. At least 97 perpetrators were detained. |
|
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.
Rights groups demand safety for queer activist Nana Babazade
Syrian migrants face barriers in accessing basic rights under repatriation pressure, report shows
Appeals court upholds 'good conduct' reduction in Pınar Bulunmaz femicide case
MALE VIOLENCE MONITORING REPORT MAY 2026
Men killed 14 women in May
WOMEN'S AGENDA
Two women killed in 19 seconds: Why did the court not rule premeditation?
