İlayda Kaya
The decision to impose life imprisonment for the crime of femicide (the gender-based killing of women) in Italy was one of the biggest steps taken globally in the fight against violence against women. While countries such as Argentina, Peru and Malta have for years defined female murders as a separate crime and imposed severe penalties, in Turkey ‘killing because she is a woman’ is still not recognised as a specific category of crime. In female murder cases, the judicial process is conducted without regard to gender, obscuring the gender dimension. With this judicial process, perpetrators receive low sentences due to provocation and good behaviour reductions. Women are reacting to Turkey’s failure to recognise “femicide” as a specific crime and to take comprehensive steps to strengthen deterrence against the daily increase in femicides.
DETERRENT PUNISHMENT IS ESSENTIAL
Canan Güllü, President of the Federation of Women’s Associations of Turkey, said the following about the decision: “There is still no such definition in Turkey regarding the murder of women. Murders are removed from the gender-based category and classified as “intentional killing”.
Following the murders of women in Italy, they recognised the danger and took a decision to prevent it by classifying it as gender-based murder through femicide. The situation in Turkey is worse; murders of women are increasing exponentially, especially after the Istanbul Convention was repealed. Furthermore, the perception of impunity is very widespread in the judicial processes in Turkey. We also see judges saying, “I take a human-centred approach”. In Italy, these important steps and the parliamentary decisions taken are undermining the perpetrators. The impunity in our country, however, encourages the perpetrators. We must follow this path too. When a woman is murdered, the perpetrator should be given a life sentence.”
HEAVY PENALTIES ARE IMPOSED
In recent years various countries have introduced legal measures to combat femicides. They have defined femicide as a separate offence and aimed to prevent reduced sentences for women’s murders. Some recent examples are:
• ARGENTINA: In 2012 femicide was defined as “aggravated murder” and punishable by life imprisonment. In 2024 the country recorded 295 femicide cases which meant a woman was killed every 30 hours. The situation worsened in 2025. In the first four months 96 women’s murders were reported with the highest numbers in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe and Córdoba.
• PERU: The National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) reported 146 femicide cases in 2023. Between 2015 and 2023 a total of 1,191 cases were recorded with the highest annual number in 2018 at 150. Femicide is recognised as an independent offence and carries a minimum sentence of 20 years. In severe cases the sentence is aggravated life imprisonment.
• MALTA: Femicide was added as a separate aggravating factor in the criminal code in June 2022. Courts are expected to impose the heaviest penalty in gender-based killings of women and life imprisonment became the standard sanction. The aim is to prevent sentence reductions for these crimes.
• NORTH MACEDONIA: Amendments to the criminal code in February 2023 added a new paragraph defining the killing of a woman as an act of gender-based violence. It states “Another offence of ending the life of a woman or girl under 18 while committing gender-based violence”.
• CROATIA: In 2023 femicide began to be defined as a specific offence. Penalties are harsher especially when the perpetrator is a partner or former partner.
• BOLIVIA: Under a law adopted in 2013 femicide is categorised as a specific offence. The maximum penalty is up to 30 years in prison with no reductions applied.
UNJUST PROVOCATION REDUCTIONS ARE UNACCEPTABLE
In Italy the right-wing coalition government’s bill imposing heavy penalties such as life imprisonment for women’s murders was unanimously approved in the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, and became law. Reports stated that between 1 January and 20 October 2025, 85 women were killed in the country. In Turkey 317 women were killed in the first ten months of 2025. Sentence reductions were applied to men who murdered women. Some examples are:
• 13.08.25 – In İzmir Serkan Dindar appeared before the court for killing Ceyda Yüksel after she rejected his sexual advance. He was tried on the charge of “premeditated murder” with a request for 24 years in prison. An “unjust provocation reduction” was applied and the sentence was lowered to 18 years.
• 18.02.25 – In Diyarbakır Özcan Yıldız, who murdered Rozerin Yıldız while they were in the process of divorcing, received an “unjust provocation” reduction. The court sentenced him to 19 years 2 months.
POLICE OFFICER KILLED THE WOMAN
In Kayseri police officer S.U. killed his mother-in-law M.M. The incident happened around 13.00 yesterday in the Melikgazi district. At a vineyard house an argument broke out between 35-year-old S.U. and his 60-year-old mother-in-law M.M. over inheritance. S.U. shot M.M. with a pistol then shot himself with the same weapon. Police and medical teams were sent to the scene upon a report. S.U., who was seriously injured, was taken to hospital after first aid by medical teams. An investigation was launched into the incident.
Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Cinskırıma karşı çıt çıkarmıyorlar, published in BirGün newspaper on November 27, 2025.
