Dozens of women marched in central İstanbul on Monday evening demanding justice for Bahar Aksu, who was murdered by her former husband, accusing Turkish authorities of enabling gender-based violence through a culture of impunity and political silence.
Aksu, 33, was abducted and fatally shot by Rüstem Elibol on Kazım Orbay Street in the Şişli district last week. Her killing sparked outrage across Turkey, with protesters gathering outside the Pangaltı metro station before marching to the scene of the crime to condemn what they described as “systemic femicide”.
Chanting “We want to live safely and freely,” demonstrators held signs demanding the reinstatement of the İstanbul Convention and stricter enforcement of Law 6284, a domestic violence protection law they say is routinely ignored.
“This was not an isolated incident. Bahar was killed by a patriarchal system that emboldens perpetrators and protects them with ‘male justice’,” said a speaker during the vigil.
Activists condemned legal practices such as “good conduct” and “provocation” sentence reductions, and media coverage they say downplays femicides by attributing them to jealousy or emotional breakdowns. The protest also criticised the ruling Justice and Development Party and Nationalist Movement Party (AKP-MHP) coalition for policies that glorify the family unit while minimising the state’s responsibility in addressing gender-based violence.
“While killers walk among us encouraged by male-dominated justice, how can any woman feel safe?” asked one protester, drawing applause from the crowd.
The protest ended with a powerful pledge: “From Şule Çet to Gülistan Doku, from Emine Bulut to Rabia Naz, we will not stop until justice is served. Bahar will live on in our struggle.”
Women’s rights groups say at least 394 women were killed by men in Turkey in 2024. Critics argue that the government’s 2021 withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention, a European treaty combating violence against women, further eroded protections.
