Murder of Turkish woman sparks nationwide protests
The murder of a Turkish woman sparks protests across the nation as government officials consider withdrawing from a convention designed to combat violence against women.
ISTANBUL — Five days after Pinar Gultekin was reported missing, her body was found Tuesday in a forested area in Turkey’s southwestern province of Mugla.
According to news reports, the 27-year-old student was battered and strangled to death by her former partner, Cemal Metin Avci, who has been detained on homicide charges in an ongoing investigation.
The murder is one of nearly 120 femicides recorded in Turkey so far this year, according to the civic group We Will Stop Femicide Platform, and women’s rights advocates organized nationwide protests Tuesday claiming the state was not doing enough to deter gender-based violence.
The events come at a time when violence against women is a frequent topic in national headlines as the Turkish government debates making amendments to the Istanbul Convention, a set of laws designed to combat gender-based violence.
