In 2024, men killed 378 women, harassed 131 women, abused 229 children, inflicted violence on 645 women and raped 16 women. Men forced at least 772 women into sex work. The death of 315 women was reported as “suspicious” in the press, while men killed at least 43 children.
In 2024, menkilled 378 women, harassed 131 women, abused 229 children, inflicted violence on 645 women and raped 16 women. Men forced at least 772 women into sex work. The death of 315 women was reported as “suspicious” in the press, while men killed at least 43 children.
According to current data compiled by bianet from local, national and internet press in Turkey in the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, men killed at least 378 women and 43 children in 2024.
The death of at least 282 women, including trans individuals, was reported as “suspicious” in the press in 2024.
According to press reports, men killed despite at least 18 “protection” and “restraining” orders and demands.
In 2024, men killed 378 women, harassed 131 women, abused 229 children, inflicted violence on 645 women and raped 16 women. Men forced at least 772 women into sex work. The death of 315 women was reported as “suspicious” in the press, while men killed at least 43 children.
CLICK HERE – bianet male violence monitoring report methodology
Murder
In 2024, men killed at least 378 women.
At least 6 women killed by men were women who had migrated to Turkey.
Shakhnoza Kurbonova, Katie Erorbay, Ashfaq Ahmad Qureshi, Nadya Zorlu, Victoria Vera B., Maia A.
In 2024, men killed a trans woman in Diyarbakır. Systematic attacks against LGBTİ+ individuals continued.
Where did men kill women?
Men killed 252 women within the household and 123 women outside the household. The press did not report on where three women were killed.
67% of women were killed within the household, while 32% were killed outside the household.
Who killed women?
70% of women were killed by men closest to them, for instance, their husbands or partners.
In 2024, 267 women were killed by their husbands, partners or ex-partners. 66 women were killed by family murders such as their fathers or brothers, 10 women were killed by their son-in-laws, five women were killed by their neighbours, 14 women were killed by their colleagues or friends, one woman was killed by the two men who raped her, four women were killed by handymen assigned tasks in their homes. The press did not report on the relationship of perpetrator men in the case of 11 women.
How did men kill women?
Men killed 60% of women with firearms, 27% of women with sharp objects and 9% of women by beating them. Men killed 4% of women using other methods (including burning).
Men killed 229 women with firearms, 102 women with sharp objects and 35 women by beating or strangling them. Men killed 2 women by burning them while the press did not report on how at least 10 women were killed.
What “pretexts” did men give for killing women?
50% women were killed by men for wanting to split up or not wanting to make up, 5% of women were killed on the pretext of jealousy. 5% of women were killed in relation to crimes such as rape and mugging.
In 2024, men killed 191 women for wanting to split up or not wanting to make up, while men killed at least 22 women on the pretext of jealousy, men also killed 20 women as they committed crimes such as mugging or rape. The press did not report on the “pretext” of men in the case of the killing of 145 women.
Legal Process
In 2024, there were at least 724 perpetrators that killed women. 304 perpetrators were arrested. Eight perpetrators were released. 90 perpetrators were detained. 80 perpetrators committed suicide. An investigation was launched regarding 207 perpetrators. 23 perpetrators fled. The legal process of 12 perpetrators was not reported in the press.
Provinces where men killed women
Adana (17), Adıyaman (6), Afyon (2), Ağrı (1), Amasya , Ankara (20), Antalya (12), Artvin (1), Aydın (8), Aksaray (2), Balıkesir (6), Bartın (1), Batman (2), Bayburt, Bilecik, Bingöl, Bitlis (1), Bolu, (2) Burdur (1), Bursa (10), Çanakkale (3), Çankırı (1), Çorum (2), Denizli (3), Diyarbakır (10), Düzce (2), Edirne (3), Elazığ (4), Erzincan, Erzurum (6), Eskişehir (5), Antep (11), Giresun, (4) Gümüşhane (1), Hakkâri, Hatay (8), Iğdır (1), Isparta, İstanbul (66), İzmir (19), Karabük (2), Karaman (1), Kars (1), Kastamonu (2), Kayseri (3), Kilis (1), Kırklareli (2), Kırıkkale (4), Kırşehir, Kocaeli (9), Konya (9), Kütahya (2), Maraş (4), Malatya (4), Manisa (10), Mardin (4), Mersin (19), Muğla (7), Muş (1), Nevşehir (1), Niğde (1), Ordu, Osmaniye (1), Rize (1), Sakarya (9), Samsun (10), Siirt (1), Sinop, Sivas (2), Urfa (8), Şırnak (1), Tekirdağ (7), Tokat, Trabzon (1), Tunceli, Uşak (2), Van (2), Yalova (1), Yozgat, Zonguldak (3).
Province not reported (1)
The Murder of Children
According to current data compiled by bianet from local, national and internet press in Turkey in the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, men killed at least 43 children in 2024 on the “pretext” of harming women they were inflicting violence against, or on other “pretexts”.
The murdered children included those forced into marriages before the age of marriage.
Who killed children?
In 2024, 30 children were killed by their fathers, four children by their friends and six children by their relatives. One child was killed by family members while the press did not report on who killed four children.
How did men kill children?
Men killed 37 children using firearms, and five children with sharp objects. Men strangled two children.
Legal Process
54 perpetrator men killed children. 20 perpetrators were arrested. 14 perpetrators committed suicide. A legal process was launched regarding one perpetrator. The press did not report on the legal process of one perpetrator, while at least 18 perpetrators were detained.
Sexual Attack / Rape
According to press reports, men raped at least 16 women in 2024.
Who raped women?
One woman was raped by a relative, two women by colleagues, three women by neighbours, one woman by a security guard, one woman by delivery staff, one woman by a doctor, one woman by a client in the same hotel she was staying at and one woman by a male politician. One woman was raped by a rap artist. The press did not report on the degree of relationship of ten men who raped four women.
Where did men rape women?
Men raped four women within the household and twelve women outside the household.
Legal Process
There were 23 perpetrators who raped women. Only 14 perpetrators were arrested. Two perpetrators were detained. Investigations were launched against three perpetrators. The press did not report on the legal process of four perpetrators.
Harassment
Men harassed at least 131 women in 2024. Women harassed by men included migrant women.
Who harassed women?
At least 11 women were harassed by colleagues or directors, 12 women by their friends or partners, four women by doctors, four women by taxi drivers, three women by shopkeepers, seven women by neighbours, four women by delivery staff, four women by sports coaches, one woman by a public official, one woman by a specialized sergeant. The press did not report on the relationship of the perpetrator in the case of 80 women.
Where did men harass women?
Men sexually harassed 10 women within the household and 117 women outside the household. The press did not report on the site of harassment in the case of four women.
Legal Process
There were at least 111 perpetrators who sexually harassed women. Only 28 perpetrators were arrested. 18 perpetrators were detained. Legal processes were launched regarding 21 perpetrators. 4 perpetrators were released. Two perpetrators escaped, one perpetrator was sentenced to house arrest, one perpetrator was dismissed. The press did not report on the legal process of at least 36 perpetrators.
Child Abuse
According to current data compiled by bianet from local, national and internet press in Turkey in the period from 1 January 2024 to 31 December 2024, men abused 229 children including boys.
Who abused children?
At least 10 children were abused by employers, 12 children by their sports teachers, two children by doctors, 32 children by family members including fathers, grandfathers and brothers, 40 children by teachers, school service staff and security staff, 16 children by neighbourhood shopkeepers, and 27 children by imams and religious staff. Two children were abused by shepherds and at least nine children were abused by neighbours. The press did not report on perpetrators in the abuse cases of 79 children.
Where did men abuse children?
Men abused 38 children within the household and 185 children in places outside of the house including parks, schools, Quran courses and sports halls. The press did not report on the site of abuse in the cases of six children.
Legal Process
There were at least 235 perpetrators who abused children. Only 101 perpetrators were arrested. No action was taken regarding at least 21 perpetrators. 32 perpetrators were detained. 21 perpetrators were released. Cases were filed against 24 perpetrators. The press did not report on the legal process of 27 perpetrators. Nine perpetrators escaped.
Injuries Caused by Male Violence
In 2024, men injured 645 women. There were many trans and LGBTİ+ individuals who were injured, too.
Who injured women?
At least 503 women were injured by their husbands or partners, 21 women were injured by colleagues, 2 women were injured by drivers, 1 woman was injured by a religious official, 51 women were injured by family members, four women were injured by police officers, eight women were injured by their son-in-laws and 11 women were injured by their landlords or neighbours. The press did not report who the perpetrators were in the case of 38 women.
How did men injure women?
Men injured 509 women by beating, 61 women with firearms and 60 women with sharp objects. Men burned six women, and threw a Molotov cocktail into the home of one woman. Men ran over one woman. The press did not report how men injured seven women.
Where did men injure women?
Men injured 364 in their homes, while 245 women were injured in places outside the home such as the street, hospitals, car parks and schools. The press did not report on where 36 women were injured.
Legal Process
668 perpetrator men injured women. Only 98 men were arrested. 26 men were reported to have fled, or sought by police. 24 perpetrators committed suicide. Investigations or legal processes were launched regarding 268 perpetrators. At least 88 perpetrators were detained. 25 perpetrators were released. Eight perpetrators were given debarment orders or monetary fines. The press did not report on the legal process of at least 136 perpetrators.
Forced Sex Work
In 2024, men forced at least 772 women into sex work. 225 of these women were not citizens of Turkey.
Children under the age of 18 were among those forced into sex work.
Legal Process
347 perpetrator men forced women into sex work. Only 238 perpetrators were arrested. 75 perpetrators were detained. At least 22 perpetrators were released. The legal process of 12 perpetrators was not reported in the press.
Statement
The bianet Male Violence Monitoring Report only covers cases of women who lost their lives as a result of male violence and reported in the press.
We do not include cases of violence cases or murders 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. In time, when we come to the conclusion that a crime is gender-based, we include it in the end-of-year tally.
Keeping with the principle of the presumption of innocence, we shorten the names of women and men in the cases of married couples.
We do not include any murders 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 cases of mass murder in which women were not directly targeted, under the condition that the debated incident is not-gender based.
The occupational groups mentioned in the report, only cover cases in which occupation holds relevance regarding the act of violence.
For instance, like in the case, “The woman was murdered at her home by her husband, a professional military officer, using his firearm”.
We include violence inflicted on children by men in the monitoring report to expose the dimensions of violence.
bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018- Şubat 2025). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News, İMC TV için muhabirlik yaptı. Rize'de...
bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018- Şubat 2025). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News, İMC TV için muhabirlik yaptı. Rize'de yerel gazetelerde çalıştı. Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo ve sektör dergileri için yazılar yazdı, haberleri yayınlandı. Hemşin kültür dergisi GOR’un kurucu yazarlarından. Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, Medya ve Yalanlar isimli kitaplara katkı sundu. Musa Anter Gazetecilik (2011) ve Türkiye Psikiyatri Derneği (2024) en iyi haber ödülü sahibi. Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası Kadın ve LGBTİ+ Komisyonu kurucularından. Sendikanın İstanbul Şubesi yöneticilerinden (2023-2027). İstanbul Üniversitesi Avrupa Birliği ve Bilgi Üniversitesi Uluslararası İlişkiler bölümlerinden mezun. Toplumsal cinsiyet odaklı habercilik ve cinsiyet temelli şiddet haberciliği alanında atölyeler düzenliyor. Şubat 2025'den bu yana kadın haberleri editörü olarak çalışıyor.
Police chasing protesters following a demonstration at Saraçhane Square. (Ali Dinç/bianet)
A woman detained during protests in İstanbul following the arrest of Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has alleged that she was subjected to physical abuse and sexual harassment by police officers.
The woman, who was taken into custody on the night of Mar 22 and later placed under house arrest, described her experience in her police testimony.
“I didn’t damage any public property or resist the police," she wrote. "However, I was subjected to a very harsh intervention. I was pulled by my hair and dragged to the ground. While I was being taken away to be handcuffed, a police officer who said ‘I won't beat you’ took me to the back of the ambulance and I was harassed there. At that moment I wet myself out of fear. The clothes I was wearing were still soaked in urine. The woman officer said 'enough'. But the male policeman who had harassed me before continued to act as if he was in charge."
She further described the violence she endured while in custody. "The male police officer pressed my head with his foot. The doctor's report showed edema and swelling on my left side. While I was being taken to the detention vehicle, the female police officer insulted me by calling me ‘dirty’. I was kept in handcuffs for hours, my hands swollen and bruised."
'Death threats'
When she attempted to report the harassment, she said she received a sarcastic response from officers. “I told a blonde female officer that I had been harassed. She laughed and told me sarcastically, ‘Oh, you were harassed?’
"During a body search, they tied ropes around my wrists and neck to remove the plastic handcuffs. When I said it violated my rights, no one cared.”
The woman said that she was subjected to constant pressure and threats by four women police officers during her detention, and that one of the most severe threats came one of those officers: "They frightened me, put me under constant pressure. A black-haired policewoman told me, 'If you stay in our hands, we will kill you.' The other officers were joking and laughing."
Saying that the dose of violence and torture increased gradually in detention, the woman alleged that they forced her to give a statement and at one point she fainted because she could not bear the pain.
İstanbul Bar following the case
The İstanbul Bar Association’s Women’s Rights Center and lawyers affiliated with the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), including attorneys Ekim Yolcu, Büşra Çakır, and Erdener Doğan Işık, are following the case. The legal team has appealed the court's decision to place her under house arrest.
Protests erupted across Turkey following the Mar 19 detention of İstanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, a key opposition figure from the Republican People’s Party (CHP). He was formally arrested on corruption-related and suspended from office on Mar 23.
Protests continued nationwide, with Saraçhane Square in front of the İstanbul Metropolitan Municipality building being center of the demonstrations.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya stated that between Mar 19 and Mar 27, a total of 1,879 people were taken into custody during the protests. Of those, 260 were formally arrested, 468 were placed under judicial supervision, and 489 were released. Legal proceedings for the remaining 662 individuals are ongoing. (EMK/VK)
bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018- Şubat 2025). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News, İMC TV için muhabirlik yaptı. Rize'de...
bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018- Şubat 2025). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News, İMC TV için muhabirlik yaptı. Rize'de yerel gazetelerde çalıştı. Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo ve sektör dergileri için yazılar yazdı, haberleri yayınlandı. Hemşin kültür dergisi GOR’un kurucu yazarlarından. Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, Medya ve Yalanlar isimli kitaplara katkı sundu. Musa Anter Gazetecilik (2011) ve Türkiye Psikiyatri Derneği (2024) en iyi haber ödülü sahibi. Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası Kadın ve LGBTİ+ Komisyonu kurucularından. Sendikanın İstanbul Şubesi yöneticilerinden (2023-2027). İstanbul Üniversitesi Avrupa Birliği ve Bilgi Üniversitesi Uluslararası İlişkiler bölümlerinden mezun. Toplumsal cinsiyet odaklı habercilik ve cinsiyet temelli şiddet haberciliği alanında atölyeler düzenliyor. Şubat 2025'den bu yana kadın haberleri editörü olarak çalışıyor.
LGBTI+ activist İris Mozalar was among the encircled group after the demonstration.
More than 100 women and LGBTI+ activists were detained following the Feminist Night March in Beyoğlu İstanbul on Mar 8.
After the demonstration ended in Cihangir neighborhood, police encircled a group of activists and eventually detained 112 of them. During the confrontation, officers cited the chanting of "banned slogans" as the reason for their action.
Feminist activist Feride Eralp criticized the police response, saying, “There are probably 100 to 200 of us here. Out of a protest attended by thousands, you have somehow managed to trap this small group. This is disgraceful. What you are doing here is completely arbitrary.”
She called on the police to allow the crowd to disperse peacefully. “Do not use violence against women on Mar 8 Women’s Day. If you try to detain us here, you will have to use force on all of us—and you know that. Let this day end without violence. Your duty is to protect women from violence, not to inflict it. These women marched today for their rights and freedoms, for an end to male violence. Let us go.”
Police deployed vehicles to the scene and eventually detained all the encircled demonstrators.
LGBTI+ activist released after arrest request
Among those detained was LGBTI+ activist İris Mozalar, who was later referred to İstanbul’s 3rd Penal Judgeship of Peace with a request for arrest on charges of “insulting the president” and violating the Law No. 2911 on Meetings and Demonstrations.
Mozalar spent the night in police custody before being transferred to Çağlayan Courthouse.
According to Mozalar’s lawyer, Gizem Karaköçek, prosecutors requested the arrest without even taking a statement from Mozalar.
The case file did not provide detailed reasoning for the arrest request, but one of the slogans chanted during the march—“Jump, jump, those who don’t jump are Tayyip”—was listed as evidence for insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
During police questioning, Mozalar was also asked about slogans including “Jin, jiyan, azadî” (Woman, life, freedom), “Resistance against all odds, freedom against all odds,” and “If women were free, the world would shake.”
Mozalar was ultimately released under judicial control, with an international travel ban. (TY/VK)
