Newsletters
A new nationwide report has shown that violence against women remained widespread across Türkiye in 2025, with at least 391 women killed by men over the course of the year, according to data released by the Federation of the Women's Associations in Türkiye, known internationally by its Turkish acronym TKDF.
The report, covering the period from 1 January to 31 December 2025, broke these deaths down into 297 cases officially classified as femicide and 94 cases recorded as suspicious deaths. For international readers, "femicide" refers to the killing of women specifically because of their gender, often linked to domestic or intimate partner violence, while "suspicious deaths" are cases where the circumstances could not be fully clarified.
By putting the figures together, TKDF underlined that the scale of violence was not limited to isolated incidents but spread across many regions and social groups.
When looking at where the killings took place, the data pointed to a striking pattern. Most women were killed in spaces that should have been the safest. More than half of the victims lost their lives in their own homes or in places where they lived with others, while a smaller but still significant number were killed in public spaces such as streets or open areas.
Cases were also recorded in workplaces, forested areas, and near bodies of water like seas or lakes, showing that the risk was not confined to a single setting. In a limited number of cases, the exact location could not be determined.
The report also set out how the killings were carried out, revealing that firearms were the most common method. A large share of women were shot, followed by killings involving knives or other sharp objects.
Other methods included strangulation, severe physical assault, and deaths caused by falls from height. In dozens of cases, the method could not be confirmed, often due to limited available evidence.
One of the most consistent findings involved the relationship between victims and perpetrators. According to TKDF, most women were killed by men they knew well, often within the family or through intimate relationships. These included husbands, former spouses, men in the process of divorce, or partners with whom the women were living.
Other cases involved men the women knew socially, while only a very small number involved men with no prior connection. For international audiences, this pattern reflects what many global studies have also found: violence against women is most likely to come from current or former partners rather than strangers.
Age data showed that women between 19 and 35 years old made up nearly half of all recorded cases, making this group the most affected.
However, the range was wide, with the youngest victim reported as two years old and the oldest as 83, underscoring that no age group was fully spared.
Geographically, the highest number of killings was recorded in Istanbul, followed by Diyarbakir, Izmir, Antalya, Ankara, and Adana.
These figures do not suggest higher rates per capita but do show where the highest absolute numbers were reported, often reflecting population size and reporting capacity.
When marital status was examined, married women accounted for the largest group of victims, followed by single and divorced women.
A smaller number were reported as living with a partner through a religious-only marriage, a form of union not officially recognized by the Turkish civil system. In many cases, marital status could not be identified.
TKDF emphasized that many of these deaths were preventable and pointed to the need for stronger protection mechanisms and policies aimed at stopping violence before it escalates.
While the report focused strictly on documenting cases, its overall structure made clear that early intervention and effective enforcement remain central issues in Türkiye’s ongoing struggle with violence against women.
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
