Six women have died under suspicious circumstances in Kurdish-majority Cizre (Cizîr), Şırnak (Şirnex), in southeast Turkey over four months, prompting accusations from activists that these deaths are part of Turkish strategic warfare against the local Kurdish population.
The Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad or TJA), a Kurdish women’s platform, argues that the suspicious deaths of women in Botan* are part of a deliberate special war policy targeting the region. According to TJA spokeswoman Adalet Fidan, these deaths, often disguised as accidents or suicides, are a consequence of systemic violence against women.
“Botan has been selected as a pilot region,” Fidan said on Friday to Mezopotamya Agency’s Zeynep Durgut, emphasising the link between increased female fatalities and intensified special warfare policies.
The troubling rise in suspicious female deaths in Botan includes cases disguised as accidents or suicides. On 11 March, Melek Saltan was found dead under suspicious circumstances, followed by Gule Akman on 10 April. On 22 May, Zeliha Özkaplan was murdered by her husband, while on 29 May, 16-year-old Safya Süreyya allegedly fell into the Tigris River. Berivan Ekinler died under suspicious circumstances on 11 June and Leyla Gülçe was found dead in her home on 12 June. Whether investigations have been launched remains unknown.
Fidan stressed the role of impunity in perpetuating these crimes and claims that this impunity is an extension of special warfare against the local Kurdish population. “Only a fraction of the so-called suicides are without cause. Most women are murdered, often disguised as suicides, or are driven to take their own lives. This cannot be separated from the special war policy. Perpetrators remain unpunished, effectively decriminalising these acts,” she explained.
She also criticised the impact of government-appointed trustees on local governance, noting the disruption of crucial services that previously worked to prevent violence against women. Fidan emphasised the TJA’s commitment to combating this issue through community-based initiatives, saying, “We are forming committees in districts and neighbourhoods to focus on women’s issues. Workshops and educational programmes will continue to support our efforts.”
Fidan called for broader societal change, urging, “We must break the stigma and change the mindset that blames and shames women who face harassment and violence. As women’s deaths increase, so does our determination to expand our work.”
(*) Botan refers to a historical and geographical Kurdish region in southeastern Turkey, also primarily within Şırnak province. This area includes parts of the modern-day provinces of Şırnak, Hakkari (Colemerg) and Siirt (Sert).
