According to the news compiled by bianet from local and national newspapers, news sites, and agencies, men killed at least 28 women and 4 children in December.
In December, men subjected at least 51 women to violence, abused at least 59 girls and boys, and harassed 14 women. Men forced 153 women into sex work.
In December, the deaths of at least 56 women and nine children were reported in the media as “suspicious.” One of the suspicious deaths was that of Poyraz, a trans person in prison.
Provinces where suspicious deaths of women
Adana (1), Adıyaman (1), Afyon (1), Ağrı (1), Aydın (3), Ankara (1), Antalya (3), Bursa (2), Burdur (2), Çanakkale (4), Çorum (1), Denizli (2), Diyarbakır (1), Edirne (1), Giresun (1), Isparta (1), İstanbul (3), İzmir (1), Kayseri (2), Kilis (1), Konya (1), Malatya (1), Manisa (2), Mardin (1), Muğla (3), Niğde (2), Sakarya (1), Samsun (2), Tokat (1), Urfa (2), Van (1), Zonguldak (2)
Provinces where suspicious deaths of children
Antalya (1), Antep (1), Denizli (1), Konya (1), Kocaeli (1), Manisa (1), Mersin (1), Osmaniye (1), Urfa (1).
2025–2020 male violence data
In 2025, men killed 299 women, harassed 201 women, abused 265 children, subjected 724 women to violence, and raped 14 women. Men forced at least 1,168 women into sex work. While the deaths of 471 women were reported in the media as “suspicious,” men killed at least 64 children.
In 2024, men killed 378 women, harassed 131 women, abused 229 children, subjected 645 women to violence, and raped 16 women. Men forced at least 772 women into sex work. While the deaths of 315 women were reported in the media as “suspicious,” men killed at least 43 children.
In 2023, men killed 333 women, harassed 355 women, abused 123 children, subjected 745 women to violence, and raped 18 women. Men forced at least 371 women into sex work. While the deaths of 270 women were reported in the media as “suspicious,” men killed at least 28 children.
In 2022, men killed 327 women, harassed 156 women, abused 238 children, subjected 793 women to violence, and raped 32 women. Men forced at least 442 women into sex work. In 2022, the deaths of 198 women were reported in the media as “suspicious,” and men killed 39 children.
In 2021, men killed 324 women, harassed 424 women, abused 208 children, and raped 96 women. Men forced at least 772 women into sex work and subjected at least 793 women to violence or injury. In 2021, the deaths of 213 women were reported in the media as “suspicious,” and men killed at least 34 children.
In 2020, men killed at least 284 women, harassed 147 women, abused 265 children, and raped 96 women. Men forced at least 818 women into sex work and subjected at least 792 women to violence.
Femicide
In December, men killed at least 28 women. In the same month last year, this number was 19. Men killed three women despite restraining orders, and one man killed a woman after being released from prison.
Women killed by men in December
Aynur Erkenci, Ayşe K., Deniz Şişman, Duygu Tepebaş, Emine A., Eser E., Fadime Y.G., Fatma Ç., Gülhan B., Gülhan Taş, Hilal Aktepe, İmhan S., Kadriye K., Künra A., Melek Gül, Meliha S., Merve Şen, Nazen G., Nilgün Geçer, Remziye Kaya, Rojda Yakışıklı, Rukiye Y., Sevgi Ö., Sultan Değirmenci, Sümeyye D., Şerife Gelmeli, Tülay Ü., Zaide A.
Provinces where men killed women
Adıyaman (1), Ankara (2), Antep (2), Antalya (1), Bursa (1), Çanakkale (2), Diyarbakır (2), Hatay (1), İstanbul (1), Karaman (1), Kayseri (1), Kırıkkale (2), Kırıklareli (1), Manisa (3), Maraş (1), Mersin (1), Samsun (1), Siirt (1), Urfa (1), Zonguldak (2).
Men killed 14 women because they wanted to break up or refused to reconcile. The motives behind the killing of 13 women were not reported in the media.
Seventeen women were killed by their husbands or partners, three by their sons-in-law, three by neighbors, two by family members such as father or son, one by her employer, and one by a retired police officer. One woman was killed by her grandson under the age of 18.
Men killed 16 women indoors and 12 outdoors.
Men killed 15 women with firearms and nine with sharp objects. Two women were strangled, one was hanged, and one was beaten to death.
Legal process
There were 25 male perpetrators of femicide. Only 21 were arrested. Four committed suicide. One child was taken into custody.
Child murder
In December, men killed at least four children. In the same month last year, this number was two.
Two children were killed by their fathers, one by his brother, and one by his uncle.
Men killed three children with firearms and one by beating.
Provinces where men killed children
Adana (2), Hatay (1), Urfa (1)
Names of the children killed by men
A.A., Derin K., Doruk K., M.D.
Legal process
There were three perpetrators of child murder. One was arrested. One fled, and one committed suicide.
Harassment
In December, men harassed at least 14 women. This number was 11 in the same month last year.
Men harassed women in public places such as streets, university campuses, gardens, and hospitals.
Men harassed all 14 women both verbally and physically.
Two women were harassed by a fellow passenger, three by coworkers, one by fellow party members, one by a journalist, one by a prisoner, and one by a university faculty member. The relationship of five perpetrators to the victims was not reported in the media.
Provinces where men harassed women
Adıyaman (2), Burdur (1), İstanbul (5), Kocaeli (1), Konya (1), Kütahya (1), Muğla (2), Sakarya (1).
Legal process
Kadınları taciz eden 14 fail var. En az 10 fail hakkında soruşturma başlatıldı. Bir fail gözaltına alındı. Üç failin hukuki süreci basına yansımadı.
Child abuse
In December, men abused at least 59 girls and boys. In the same month last year, this number was 20. Men abused 59 children in out-of-home spaces such as schools, the Parliament, and streets. Forty-eight children were abused by two teachers, three children by Parliament staff, two children by friends, two children by unidentified persons, one child by a relative, one child by a musician, one child by a sports trainer, and one child by a passenger.
Provinces where men abused children
Ankara (5), Balıkesir (1), Diyarbakır (1), İstanbul (1), İzmir (1), Isparta (1), Kocaeli (1), Manisa (23), Samsun (1), Şırnak (23), Zonguldak (1)
Legal process
Çocukları istismar eden 14 fail vardı. Dört fail tutuklandı. Beş fail hakkında yasal işlem başlatıldı. Üç fail gözaltına alındı. Bir fail kaçtı ve bir fail serbest bırakıldı.
Sexual assault/rape
In December, men raped one woman. In the same month last year, this number was two.
One woman was raped by a coworker.
Men raped one woman indoors.
Province where men raped a woman
Bursa (1)
Legal process
There was one perpetrator who raped women. He was arrested.
Violence / injury
In December, men injured 51 women. In the same month last year, this number was 53. Four women were hospitalized with serious injuries. Men injured six women despite restraining orders.
Provinces where men used violence against women
Adana (1), Afyon (1), Aksaray (2), Ankara (1), Antalya (1), Aydın (1), Bartın (1), Çanakkale (2), Denizli (1), Dersim (1), Diyarbakır (2), Edirne (16), İstanbul (9), Karaman (2), Kocaeli (1), Konya (1), Kütahya (1), Manisa (1), Muğla (2), Samsun (1), Tekirdağ (1), Urfa (1), Yozgat (1)
Thirty-four women were injured by their husbands, ex-husbands, or partners; three women by friends, two women by neighbors, one woman by her father, one woman by a relative, one woman by a sports coach, one woman by thieves, one woman by three people, one woman by five men, and one woman by two men. Five women were injured by men whose identities were not determined.
Men injured 12 women because they did not want to reconcile or wanted to separate. The motives for injuring 39 women were not reported in the media.
Men injured 43 women by beating, five women with sharp objects, and two women with firearms. Men also burned one woman.
Men injured 31 women indoors and 20 women in out-of-home areas such as streets, parks, and hospitals. Information on where two women were injured was not reported in the media.
Legal process
Legal action was initiated against 26 perpetrators, 17 were arrested, nine were taken into custody, three fled, and two committed suicide.
Forced sex work
In December, men forced at least 153 women into sex work. In the same month last year, this number was 217. Thirteen women forced into sex work were not citizens of Turkey.
Provinces where men forced women into sex work
Ankara (64), Antep (9), Dersim (1), Diyarbakır (28), Edirne (23), Hatay (2), Kocaeli (14), Mersin (2), Muğla (9), Sakarya (1).
Legal process
There were 136 perpetrators who forced women into sex work. One hundred seventeen were arrested. Two were released, and the legal process for 17 perpetrators was not reported in the media.
Explanation
bianet Male Violence Monitoring Report only covers women who lost their lives as a result of male violence reported in the press.
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."
(EMK/VK)
