I would have loved to begin and end my writing like a news report, but I am writing this not to inform you about events, but to wake you up.
According to data from the Federation of Women’s Associations of Turkey, at least 280 women were killed by men between January 1st and August 31st, 2024. This data is just a number for some, right? Every one of those people, who you only see as numbers, had a name, a life, and a dream, and all of it was taken away because someone decided they wanted to.
In the past month in our country, Şeyda Y. was murdered, İrem A. was harassed, beaten, and two young women were brutally killed. And what were the reasons? “They felt like it, they were drug addicts, they had psychological issues, they didn’t do it on purpose, she was dressed too revealingly and they wanted to teach her a lesson, they broke up with them, they made them angry, they talked too much.” Reasons for a person, pardon, a woman, to lose her life. Strange, isn’t it? Is human life so worthless, is it that easy to take someone away from life? Unfortunately, it is in our country.
Every woman in our country walks the streets in fear, trying to avoid eye contact, walking quickly to get to a place where they feel safe, pretending to be talking on the phone. Isn’t that sad? Walking is the most normal thing in the world, but for us, it’s not just walking, it’s about survival. Praying not to encounter a frustrated, drugged-up creep acting like he’s seeing a woman’s body for the first time. Yes, even the most basic action of walking has become a survival struggle for women. This is not a security issue; it is a human rights issue. These rights have been legally given to us, but they’ve been stolen by humanity. Those who make us live in fear and terror are not just ordinary men; they are products of a system that has given them this power. And those who remain silent and turn a blind eye are just as guilty as those committing the acts.
Love—such a beautiful thing, isn’t it? Something that nourishes, gives meaning to life, and heals. To the silent ones, those who are part of this disgusting system—you have stolen this from us too. You’ve stolen the purity of love. Now, even when a woman chooses someone to bring into her life, she is filled with fear and doubt. Loving and being loved has become a risk for women because, in this society, even the ones they love harm them. Women can’t love, can’t enter relationships, or even if they do, they are afraid of breaking up, thinking, “What if he hurts me?” Violence is not a part of love; love cannot exist where violence does.
I write this in dedication to those who carry out these actions and those who turn a blind eye. Every woman’s murder that goes ignored grows stronger with your silence. Your silence allows this disgusting system to continue. Every time you close your eyes, another woman’s life slips away, another dream is cut short. We will take back the dreams and freedom you have stolen from us. Women should be able to live without fear. Love grows not with pressure and violence but with compassion and trust. Together with everyone who refuses to turn a blind eye, we will tear down this disgusting system. Because we women, we are not alone.