MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed –The number of femicides and suspicious deaths of women is increasing in Turkey. According to the reports of the press outlets, the deaths of 12 women in Amed (Diyarbakır) have been recorded as suspicious deaths since January 2021. Although investigations were launched into these suspicious deaths, the investigations weren’t carried out in detail. We spoke to lawyer Elif Tirenç İpek Ulaş, also a board member of the Rosa Women’s Association, about the cases of suspicious deaths of women. Emphasizing that the government's misogynistic policies cause an increase in femicides and suspicious deaths of women, Elif Tirenç İpek Ulaş drew attention to that the judicial system doesn’t exhibit a different attitude on these issues.

“No sensitivity is shown in the cases of suspicious deaths”

Indicating that investigations launched into the cases of suspicious deaths should be carried out differently than murder cases, Elif Tirenç İpek Ulaş said, “Because the killed women are mostly claimed to have committed suicide. The prosecutors and judges should question the deaths in detail no matter it is suicide or not. They should carry out the investigations in detail because they may be murder cases.”

“There is a story of violence behind every suspicious death”

Stating that there is a story of violence behind every incident while violence against women is increasing, Elif Tirenç İpek Ulaş pointed out that the story of violence is ignored. “Men don’t face any legal process and they are released, they are protected by the policy of immunity and this policy encourages men. They know they will be released when they inflict violence against women.”

Suspicious deaths of 12 women in Amed since January 2021 are as follows;

·         Body of Dermen B.was found in January. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Body of Yıldız Baran was found in Diyarbakır’s Eğil district in February. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Body of Semanur Kaplan, who was shot to death, was found in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district in April. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Body of 17-year-old Ronayi Çerkezoğlu, who was shot to death, was found in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district in April. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Dead body of a woman namely M.Ş. was found in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district in May. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Dead body of Rengin Ş., who was shot to death, was found in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district in June. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Dead body of Esma Yücel, mother of four, who was shot to death, was found in Diyarbakır in June.

·         Dead body of a woman namely E.Y. was found in the Huzurevleri neighborhood of Diyarbakır’s Kayapınar district in June. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Dead body of Dilan Kırmızıçiçek was found in the Meşeler village of Diyarbakır’s Eğil district in July. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Hicran Ada allegedly fell down from the roof of her house in Diyarbakır’s Silvan district in September. She died at the hospital. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Dead body of Dilek Bitkin was found in her house located in Diyarbakır’s Bismil district in November. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.

·         Dead body of 27-year-old Muhsine Y. was found in Diyarbakır’s Çermik district in December. Her death has been recorded as a suspicious death.