Country of origin information report Turkey March 2007

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Women suicides in Turkey
22.43 An article by Amnesty International USA “High rate of women suicides in Turkey” published in May 2006 stated that:
“The U.N. is investigating a surge in the number of young women committing suicides in Turkey. The U.N. special rapporteur on violence against women, Yakin Erturk, arrived yesterday to the Turkish city of Batman to review the recent reports. Since the beginning of the year 36 women had committed suicide, surpassing the number for the entire year before. According to the reports the alleged cause is ‘forced suicides’ or suicides where the victim is pushed to kill herself by her husband or relative to restore family honor – to cleanse a perceived offense such as adultery or sex before marriage.
“Ertuk has expressed her horror at the number of deaths but states that there is still no direct evidence supporting ‘forced suicides’. Ertuk states this trend is the reverse of what we've found in the rest of the world and is a great concern. At this stage I've got more questions than answers.” [12a]
22.44 The Independent Online Edition also reported a United Nations envoy having arrived in Turkey to investigate a reported surge in the number of young women committing suicide. 36 women had killed themselves since the start of the year [2006]. This figure is already much higher than the number for the whole of last year [2005]. [85]
22.45 The Child Rights Information Network also reported in May 2006 that:
“A UN envoy is to visit Batman in south-east Turkey to investigate reports of an alarming rise in the number of women committing suicide. Yakin Erturk, will visit four cities during a 10-day fact-finding mission to the country. The Turkish government has begun work to raise awareness about domestic violence and the mosques have been instructed to preach against honour crimes in particular, but changing the mentality that drives such killings is an enormous task. In the meantime in Batman there is still no shelter women in danger can run to and no local hotline number they can call.” [94a]
22.46 An International Herald Tribune article dated 12 July 2006 noted that:
“Every few weeks in this Kurdish area of southeast Anatolia, which is poor, rural and deeply influenced by conservative Islam, a young woman tries to take her life. Turkey has tightened the punishments for ‘honor crimes’. But rather than such deaths being stopped, lives are being ended by a different means. Parents are trying to spare their sons from the harsh punishments associated with killing their sisters by pressing the daughters to take their own lives instead.” [82]