Turkey records at least 36 femicides, 21 suspicious deaths in October

At least 36 women have been killed by male violence in Turkey in October, with another 21 dying under suspicious conditions, according to JinNews’ monthly monitoring report. 

The report showed that 21 women were killed by their husbands and six by a relative and the most murders were committed in capital Ankara and Istanbul respectively. 

According to JinNews, a total of 299 women were killed by men in the first ten months of this year. 

Last year, the news outlet reported a total of 311 femicides and 181 suspicious deaths.

Male violence which remains a serious problem in Turkey has further increased after the country withdrew from an international treaty to combat violence against women, according to rights groups.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last year pulled Turkey out of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention, after pro-government conservative and Islamist groups argued that it undermined Turkish family values and promoted homosexuality. 

In July, the United Nations urged Turkey to reverse the decision of ditching the accord, saying that the implementation of domestic legislation protecting women from abuse “had been weakened” after the withdrawal. Turkish Family and Social Services Minister Derya Yanik in September said there is no possibility of reversal.