US embassy cable - 04ISTANBUL403

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ISTANBUL 000403 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM, PGOV, TU, Istanbul 
SUBJECT: "HONOR KILLING" SHOCKS ISTANBUL, HIGHLIGHTS 
ONGOING WOMEN'S RIGHTS ISSUES 
 
1. (u) Summary: The tragic murder of 22-year old Guldunya 
Toren on February 26 by two of her brothers at a Bakirkoy 
district hospital shocked Istanbul, captured several days of 
media coverage, and highlighted the fact that the tradition 
of "honor killings" remains deep-set, even in Turkey's most 
developed and cosmopolitan city.  Such incidents are only the 
most visible manifestation, however, of a pervasive attitude 
that denies women equal rights.  End Summary. 
 
 
Honor Killings 
-------------- 
2. (u) According to reports, Toren, originally from Bitlis in 
Southeast Turkey, was raped and impregnated by a family 
member last year.  Having "dishonored" her family, Toren fled 
to Istanbul, where she delivered the baby, but was eventually 
tracked down by two brothers, shot, and left to die on an 
Istanbul street.  She was then taken to the hospital where 
her brothers pursued her and killed her in front of 
witnesses.  The sensational details and timing of the case 
fueled widespread interest. 
 
 
3. (sbu) Human rights activists tell us that a few dozen such 
"honor killings" take place each year in Turkey.  Although 
Istanbul is the city with the largest number of reported 
cases in recent years, almost all of the individuals involved 
were immigrants from Turkey's Southeast.  Drawing on 13 years 
of experience and research in the Southeast, Vildan 
Yirmibesoglu, the Human Rights Department Head for the 
Istanbul Governor, told poloff that "honor crimes" are the 
result of a traditional culture that crosses all religious, 
ethnic, and tribal divisions in that region.  After 
immigrating to Turkey's large western cities, fellow 
villagers and townsmen tend to "recreate" their rural 
communities and to preserve their local traditions, including 
gender biases. 
 
 
Penal Code Reform 
----------------- 
4. (sbu) In order to address these and other gender 
discrimination issues, activists have made a considerable 
effort to press the government to enact vital legislative 
reform.  Liz Amado, a senior staff member of Istanbul-based 
Women for Women's Human Rights, explained that reforming the 
civil code was insufficient (note: this was accomplished in 
2001); entire sections of the penal code need to be rewritten 
to eliminate explicit and implicit language that 
discriminates against women.  According to Amado, these 
efforts suffered a serious setback with the election of the 
AKP government in November 2002.  Aysel Celikel, the interim 
Justice Minister before the elections, and a fellow traveler 
for women's rights activists, had accepted most of their 
proposals for the draft penal code, but the new AKP 
government decided to start from scratch (without consulting 
human rights groups).  Over a year later, Amado reports that 
constant lobbying with (reluctant) AKP deputies and (more 
supportive) CHP deputies has led the appropriate 
parliamentary commission to finally accept (most of) their 
proposed changes in the draft code that is still under review. 
 
 
5. (u) Assuming that the draft is passed in its current form, 
proposed changes will include: making sexual offenses crimes 
against "persons" and "bodily integrity," instead of 
"society" and "chastity"; deligitimizing "honor crimes" by 
removing the "unjust provocation" article that allows for 
reduced sentences; deligitimizing marital rape; eliminating 
language that discriminates based on marital status and 
virginity; removing provisions for reduced sentences for 
rapists who marry their victims; and other reforms to protect 
children.  Additional proposed changes include: criminalizing 
forced virginity testing; decriminalizing "indecent 
behavior"; and making "honor killings" an "aggravating" 
circumstance that is subject to more severe sentences (as is 
currently the case with vendetta killings). 
 
 
Changing the Mindset of the System 
---------------------------------- 
6. (sbu) Amado said that the focus will soon shift to 
implementation.  Amado and Yirmibesoglu pointed to the 
attitudes of judges and prosecutors as a key element of the 
overall problem.  Yirmibesoglu remarked that in many cases 
these officials share the same outdated notions of "honor" as 
the perpetrators.  On an encouraging note, Canan Arin, a 
board member of the Istanbul Bar Association's Center for 
Women's Rights, pointed to decisions by prosecutors and 
judges in two "honor killing" trials last year in 
Kahramanmaras and Izmir to deny the application of the 
"unjust provocation" article (with its reduced sentence) 
based on the argument that the crimes were clearly 
premeditated.  Arin and Amado both expressed their hope that 
the Istanbul prosecutor and judge will approach the Toren 
case in the same manner.  Additionally, a Sanliurfa court 
just this week handed out the most severe punishment ever for 
an "honor killing," giving life imprisonment to the 
perpetrator and 17-year prison terms to 6 other family 
members. 
 
 
7. (sbu) With regard to the Guldunya Toren case, Arin and 
Amado are both among a group that has filed cases charging 
the Istanbul police and the Bakirkoy hospital staff with 
negligence for failing to protect the victim.  They argued 
that even before the attacks, the police "knew" that the 
woman's life was in danger.  The Istanbul police chief has 
publicly denied responsibility, and even blamed Toren for 
refusing to name her attackers when she was admitted to the 
hospital.  Although warrants have been issued, the two 
brothers have not yet been apprehended. 
 
 
8. (u) The timing and gruesome details of the case have 
ensured widespread media attention.  The EU Troika 
subsequently drew further attention to the case by citing it 
as an example of ongoing human rights concerns.  Public 
officials and commentators used International Women's Day on 
March 8 to speak out on the case and women's rights in 
Turkey.  The Head of the Religious Affairs Directorate 
reinvigorated plans to have imams deliver sermons throughout 
Turkey to condemn the practice of honor killings as immoral 
and against Islam.  Amado noted ruefully, however, that 
neither the Prime Minister nor the President addressed the 
issue directly.  She claimed, moreover, that the Minister for 
Women's Affairs unhelpfully denied any relationship between 
the lack of women's shelters and honor killings. 
 
 
A Sign of Things to Come? 
------------------------- 
9. (sbu) Yirmibesoglu told poloff that the Istanbul Governor 
had been pushing the Religious Affairs Directorate for some 
time to speak out on this and other issues.  Meanwhile, she 
noted that the Governor has launched plans to open three new 
women's shelters in Istanbul this year (one was opened in 
February in the Fatih district, another will open in May). 
Additionally, Yirmibesoglu said that following the March 28 
local elections, the Governor plans to bring together 
officials, police, prosecutors, judges, and civil society 
activists for a meeting to discuss honor killings and other 
gender issues. 
 
 
Comment 
------- 
10. (sbu) The continued practice of honor killings in 
Istanbul indicates that the cultural traditions of Turkey's 
Southeast remain deeply rooted among the immigrant 
communities here.  Antiquated notions of honor are reinforced 
by a more widespread societal bias that leads to pervasive 
gender discrimination.  The notable dearth of women 
candidates, for example, in the upcoming Istanbul March 28 
local elections contributes to a general impression that the 
advancement of women's rights has been slow.  Significant 
strides in the area of democratic reform and respect for 
human rights can not obscure the fact that overcoming gender 
prejudices and biases will take time. 
ARNETT