My name is Melis, I am potentially dead

My name is Kübra. My husband hit me; I had a brain hemorrhage. I am dead now.

My name is Mekkiye. My husband shot me in the heart, then shot my two daughters. Now, all three of us are dead. My name is Ayşe. My boyfriend of three months stabbed me, my son and my 11-year-old daughter. My daughter survived, my son and I are dead.

My name is Fatma. My ex-boyfriend slit my throat. I am dead. My name is Sibel. My father who thought women were given too many rights shot me and my son. We are now dead.

Our names are Şadiye, Sibel and Dilek. Our husbands took our lives on the same day. We are now all dead.

My name is Muhterem. My husband came to the beauty salon I was working and stabbed me. I am now dead. My name is Gülay. My husband pushed me off of the balcony. The court bought the reasoning, “She committed suicide.” I am now dead.

My name is Fethiye. My husband stabbed me 11 times on the street. My name is Tuba. My former boyfriend strangled me. We are now dead. My name is Esin. My husband pushed me down a cliff. Now, I am dead.

My name is Ferdane. I asked for protection many times. Police told me “You’re better off dead.” At the end, my husband killed me. My name is Özgecan. I am a university student. I had a huge life ahead of me. Three men lit me on fire. I am now dead.

Our names are Fazilet, Kıymet, Adalet, Mehtap, Ebru, Beyhan, Dicle, Aylin, Nebahat, Dürdane, Bihter, Neşe, Ayfer, Meryem, Ayla, Birgül, Çiğdem, Ferda, Nigar, Perihan, Meral, Gülcan, Kevser, Melahat, Lerzan, İclal, İpek, Nergis, Zeynep... Now, we are dead…

Our names are Ela, Afet, Gülcan, Feray, Banu, İnci, Kıymet, Hülya, Ahu, Esengül, Armağan, Gülfem, Hatun, Leyla, Melda, Ferhunde, Asuman, Harika, Asiye, Gülseren, Aysel, Bedia, Funda, Başak, Gökşen, Burçin, Binnaz, Demet, Dilşad...

We are potentially dead.

Those who say, “I wouldn’t know whether she is a woman or a girl. I do not believe in gender equality. Because women are looking for jobs, unemployment is high. When girls are educated, then men cannot find girls to marry. Is the work at home not enough? Why should the child die if its mother was raped? Babies resulting from rape should be born; the state will take care of them if necessary. The rapist is more innocent that the rape victim who has an abortion. Pregnant women should not go out on the streets. Policies of equality disrupt the family union in Turkey. Violence against women has not increased, it is perceptual selectivity…” 

Those who have paved the way for new reduced sentences with the new justice package instead of making arrangements to prevent violence and murders against women… Those who issue fatwas about what women “should not do…” Those who despise women…

Who seriously reduce criminals’ sentences…

All of them are responsible for our deaths and potential murders of women.  In a country where sexism is the official ideology, 10 murders of women are not coincidental; they are actually a political preference… But the offender is not one. The society that immediately forgets and does not stage a genuine reaction is also the murderer of the women. This may as well be known as such…