Lawmakers and Parliament staff stage a demonstration in response to the gruesome murder of a fellow employee, a case of femicide.
In the heart of Turkey, a silent sit-in protest is currently underway at the Turkish parliament, as lawmakers and staff express their outrage and solidarity against the ongoing crisis of femicide in the country.
The tragic event that sparked this demonstration is the brutal killing of Saliha Akkaş, a cleaner assigned to the CHP group. Her estranged husband, Salih Akkaş, allegedly went to her home and stabbed her 37 times following an argument. Despite being rushed to the hospital in critical condition, Saliha Akkaş succumbed to her injuries.
This unfortunate incident is not an isolated case in Turkey. Femicide remains one of the country's most deeply rooted and devastating social issues. In recent years, the number of women killed by men has shown a worrying trend, with approximately 400 women killed annually, alongside around 300 suspicious femicides each year.
According to the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, in the first six months of 2025 alone, 136 women were murdered by men, and 145 women were found dead under suspicious circumstances. Most victims of femicide in Turkey are killed by current or former partners or other close male relatives.
Salih Akkaş, the husband of Saliha Akkaş, had a criminal record for threatening and insulting his spouse, as well as for violating a protection order. Women's rights groups have long criticized the lack of deterrence in addressing gender-based violence in Turkey.
The response from Turkish lawmakers has involved public scrutiny and calls for more effective measures, but detailed legislative changes or new policies specifically targeting femicide between 2021 and 2025 are not clearly outlined in the available data. The ongoing high rate of killings suggests that legal and social responses have yet to fully curb this crisis.
Several prominent figures from various political parties, including Murat Emir, Semra Dinçer, Meral Danış Beştaş, and Sevilay Çelenk Özen, have joined the demonstration to express their concern and demand action. Many female employees and parliamentary aides also participate in the protest.
As the nation mourns Saliha Akkaş's tragic death, the hope is that this silent sit-in protest will serve as a catalyst for meaningful change in addressing the persistent issue of femicide in Turkey.
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- The tragedy of Saliha Akkaş's fatal stabbing by her estranged husband has sparked a sit-in protest at the Turkish parliament, as lawmakers and staff demand action against femicide, a deep-rooted social issue in Turkey.
- Despite the numerous calls from women's rights groups for more effective measures to address gender-based violence, the high rate of killings suggests that legal and social responses have yet to fully curb this crisis in Turkey.
- The health-and-wellness sector, particularly women's health, and various political parties are mobilizing in response to this crisis, as demonstrated by the participation of public figures like Murat Emir, Semra Dinçer, Meral Danış Beştaş, and Sevilay Çelenk Özen, in the ongoing sit-in protest, aiming to make a difference in the prevention and reduction of femicide in the country.
