Protest in Diyarbakır for Sultan Kara, murdered while holding her child

Diyarbakır witnessed a protest following the murder of Sultan Kara, who was fatally shot by her ex-husband, Ersan Akdemir, two days prior. Kara had obtained a restraining order against Akdemir.

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We are in the pain and anger of Sultan Kara. Another woman was taken from life by a man she decided about her life, whom she was subjected to violence, or whom she no longer wanted to be with.

The demonstration, organized by the Diyarbakır Violence Struggle Network and Dicle Amed Women's Platform (DAKAP), took place at the crime scene in Sümerpark. Activists from the Free Women's Movement (TJA), Diyarbakır Metropolitan Municipality Co-Mayor Serra Bucak, municipal women's policy directors, political party representatives, and numerous women attended.

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Another child witnessed horrific violence against their mother's life while they should have been in their mother's arms.

A banner reading "Femicides are political" was displayed. DAKAP Secretary İlknur Ayık read a joint statement expressing deep sorrow and anger over Kara's death. "We are in the pain and anger of Sultan Kara," the statement began, noting that Kara was killed while holding her 3-year-old daughter. The incident left a deep scar on society's conscience, as another woman was killed by a man she was trying to leave.

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These attacks targeting women's right to life cannot be explained or justified by any means as 'family matters,' 'jealousy,' 'anger,' or 'an argument.'

The statement stressed that femicides cannot be justified by any excuse, such as "family matters," "jealousy," or "an argument." It highlighted the state's obligation to protect the right to life, emphasizing that women must be protected while alive. Protesters demanded that legal mechanisms protecting women's right to life be strengthened, that perpetrators face deterrent legal action, and that impunity be prevented. They called for an effective, transparent, and meticulous investigation and trial, ensuring the perpetrator receives due punishment.

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Protecting the right to life of every individual is one of the most fundamental obligations of the state and all public institutions.