Newsletters
Türkiye recorded at least 299 femicides in 2025, alongside hundreds of cases of physical violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and forced sex work, according to data compiled by bianet from local and national media reports.
The figures, published on Jan. 7, show that over the past year, men:
In addition, the press reported 471 women’s deaths as suspicious, with investigations still ongoing.
Bianet states that it only includes cases where reports clearly identify male-perpetrated violence. It tracks suspicious deaths separately and does not add them to annual totals unless later investigations confirm gender-based motives.
In December alone, men killed at least 28 women and four children across Türkiye, according to Bianet’s monthly tally. The figure marked an increase from December 2024, when 19 women were killed.
During the same month, men injured at least 51 women, harassed 14 women, and sexually abused at least 59 children. Men also forced at least 153 women into sex work in December. Thirteen of those women were not Turkish citizens.
Most killings took place in domestic settings. Men killed 16 women inside homes and 12 women in public spaces. Firearms remained the most commonly used weapons, followed by knives and physical assault. In several cases, courts had already issued restraining orders against the perpetrators.
Violence against children remained widespread throughout 2025, with men sexually abusing at least 265 children over the year and killing at least 64. In December, perpetrators often included fathers, brothers, relatives, teachers and other figures in positions of trust.
Legal outcomes varied widely. Authorities detained or arrested some suspects, while others died by suicide or fled before arrest. In several cases, media reports did not provide details on legal proceedings, leaving outcomes unclear.
Bianet compiles its male violence database by monitoring daily reports from newspapers, news websites and news agencies across Türkiye.
The project operates as part of a gender equality monitoring initiative supported by the European Union and implemented by the Gender Equality Monitoring Association.
The platform excludes non-gender-based violence, unresolved cases where responsibility remains unclear and incidents linked solely to severe mental illness unless there is evidence of systematic violence.
Suspicious deaths remain under review and may enter annual totals if later investigations confirm male-perpetrated violence. The full database and methodology are publicly accessible through Bianet’s male violence monitoring platform.
Women’s rights watchdogs have reported significantly higher femicide figures for 2025, reflecting broader counting methods that include unresolved cases.
The Federation of Women’s Associations of Türkiye said at least 391 women died due to male violence over the course of the year, according to data cited in Turkish media.
The federation’s report covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025, and distinguishes between 297 deaths officially classified as femicide and 94 deaths recorded as suspicious. Suspicious deaths refer to cases where the circumstances could not be fully clarified but raised concerns of possible gender-based violence.
By combining confirmed femicides with suspicious deaths, the watchdog aimed to show that the scale of violence against women extends beyond cases that have been legally or publicly identified as gender-based killings.
The report noted that many suspicious deaths remain unresolved due to limited investigations, inconsistent reporting, or a lack of transparency in official records.
This approach differs from Bianet’s methodology, which tracks suspicious deaths separately and only includes them in annual femicide totals if later investigations confirm gender-based motives.
Set as preferred source
3 min read
