Country of origin information report Turkey March 2007

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Violence against women
22.11 Stop Violence against Women (stopvaw) stated in their country page updated on 3 May 2005:
“Gender discrimination and violence against women are a widespread problem throughout Turkey. In a recommendation on Turkey’s accession to the European Union, the European Commission noted that discrimination and violence against women, including honor killings, remains a major problem. Women face setbacks with regard to education, employment and public representation. The illiteracy rate for women in Turkey is nearly twenty percent, while female employment is under 30 per cent. In addition, women are poorly represented in the political sector, and only four per cent of parliamentary seats are occupied by women.” [97]
22.12 As noted in the Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre ‘Report of fact-finding mission to Turkey (7-17 October 2004)’ made public in February 2005:
“According to Ms. Nebahat Akkoç and the other women’s rights activists consulted, violence against women is endemic all over Turkey and not limited to ‘backward’ parts such as Eastern Anatolia. It appears, however, that the problem is especially grave in traditional areas, where tribal customs still play an important role in every day life. Ms. Zülal Erdogan and Ms. RemziyeTanrýkulu from the Diyarbakýr Bar Association supported this view and pointed out that there are more cases in conservative, Kurdish families in the Southeast and among migrants from the Southeast living on the outskirts of the metropolitan areas.” [16] (p32)
22.13 The USSD 2005 report noted that:
“Violence against women, including spousal abuse, was a serious and widespread problem. The law prohibits violence against women, including spousal abuse; however, the government generally did not effectively enforce the law. Police were reluctant to intervene in domestic disputes and frequently advised women to return to their husbands. Spousal abuse was considered an extremely private matter involving societal notions of family honor [sic], and few women went to the police”. [5b] (Section 5)
22.14 The USSD 2005 report further added that:
“The Directorate General for the Status of Women reported that 147,784 women were victims of domestic violence from 2001 to 2004. These incidents included 4,957 cases of rape and 3,616 cases of attempted rape. In 2003 6,543 women suffered beatings from family members, and in the first eight months of 2004, 5,214 women suffered beatings. The law prohibits rape, including spousal rape; however, laws and ingrained societal notions made it difficult to prosecute sexual assault or rape cases. Women’s rights advocates believed cases of rape were underreported.” [5b] (Section 5)
22.15 The European Commission 2006 report noted that:
“As concerns women's rights, the report of the ad hoc Parliamentary Committee on ‘crimes in the name of honour, violence against women and children’ has been finalised. The report puts forward practical recommendations, which received wide media coverage. A circular by the Prime Minister's Office in July follows up on these, by giving priority to the fight against violence, listing the activities to be undertaken and naming the state bodies responsible. The Directorate General for the Status of Women is given the task of overall co-ordination of activities.” [71a] (p18)
22.16 Amnesty International’s report ‘No turning back – full implementation of women’s human rights now 10 year review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’ published in February 2005 stated that:
“At every level of the criminal justice system in Turkey, the authorities fail to respond promptly or rigorously to women’s complaints of rape, sexual assault or other violence within the family. The police are reluctant to prevent and investigate family violence, including the violent deaths of women. The police force’s own record of human rights violations makes victims of domestic violence reluctant to seek their help. Prosecutors refuse to open investigations into cases involving domestic violence or to order protective measures for women at risk from their family or community. The police and the courts do not ensure that men, who are served with court orders, including protection orders, comply with them. In most cases the authorities fail to ensure that the perpetrators of violence in the home are brought to justice in accordance with international standards for fair trial.” [12m] (p4)
22.17 As reported by BBC News on 7 March 2005:
“The European Union has expressed shock and concern at the ‘disproportionate force’ used by Turkish police during a protest in Istanbul. Police used truncheons and tear gas to break up Sunday’s demonstration ahead of International Women’s Day. The EU, which has told Turkey it must continue with political reforms, said: ‘On the eve of a visit by the EU during which the rights of women will be an important issue, we are concerned to see such disproportionate force used.’ ‘We were shocked by images of the police beating women and young people demonstrating in Istanbul,’ the three EU representatives said in a joint statement. ‘We condemn all violence, as demonstrations must be peaceful.’… About 300 people gathered for the unauthorised demonstration on Sunday, chanting anti-government slogans and demanding equal rights for women. After about 100 refused to follow police orders to disperse, officers armed with tear gas and truncheons charged on the crowd, say reports. Police were seen beating and kicking the men and women trying to flee.” [66i]