Turkey 19-year-old girl killed by her brother following an alleged honor killing | Muslim Women News

A 19-year-old girl killed in what appears to be an honor killing in Mersin was buried Tuesday as parliamentary deputies urged the government to take measures on women’s murders in the wake of the death.

“In the last six months, a woman was killed everyday through domestic violence. The state could not protect the right to live, which is the first right of humans. It is dangerous that the perception that ‘males may decide to divorce, but female may not’ is being cultivated in society,” a motion drafted by members of the Republican People Party, or CHP, said Wednesday.

The body of Hatice Fırat was found Monday in the Mediterranean province. It is alleged that she ran away with her boyfriend Feb. 3 but was eventually located by her family. The girl’s brother, Mahsun Fırat, is suspected of stabbing Hatice Fırat more than 40 times following an alleged decision by the family to kill the girl for besmirching the family’s honor.

The girl’s funeral was conducted by a group of 50 women Tuesday in Mersin’s Güneykent cemetery after her family refused to take responsibility for the ceremony. 

The women shouted slogans during the funeral, saying, “We are not going to be anyone’s honor,” “End honor killings,” “Hands that hurt women should be broken.”

Police have detained 11 family members, as well the girl’s boyfriend, but Mahsun Fırat remains missing, Doğan news agency reported.

Decrying the murder and others like it in Parliament, CHP İzmir Deputy Canan Arıtman and 22 other CHP deputies presented the speaker of Parliament with their motion on Wednesday, which also showed that women’s murders as a result of domestic violence had increased exponentially in recent years.

The state should investigate the reasons for the increase in the number of women’s murders, the deputies said.

The motion also said increasing unemployment and poverty in Turkey could have a profound effect on women because they could ultimately result in violence against women.

Girl ‘offends family honor’

According to the news agency, Hatice Fırat left her house Feb. 3 and said she was heading to the supermarket. When she did not return home, however, her family called the police.

The girl was last seen with her brother and her brother’s friend whose identity was not announced by the police, report said.

After the girl allegedly escaped with her boyfriend, she was spotted by a friend of Mahsun Fırat, who called the latter to say he had seen Hatice Fırat in Mersin’s Mezitli district.

According to reports, Mahsun Fırat told him to chase her and added that he would be there soon.

Mahsun Fırat reportedly met his sister at a restaurant in Mezitli where he tried to convince her that he had good intentions, the news agency said.  

While Mahsun Fırat allegedly tried to calm his sister down, she told him that she was happy with her boyfriend. During their conversation, Mahsun Fırat told her that he could keep their secret and convinced her to indicate where they were hiding. Hatice Fırat then brought her brother and his friend to the location, the agency reported.

The brother and his friend eventually left the house but Mahsun Fırat informed the family about the girl, according to the report.

The Fırat family then gathered to discuss the situation and allegedly decided to kill the runaway daughter. Mahsun Fırat then reportedly called his sister and offered to take a walk along the coast.

The siblings reportedly met in Mezitli’s Viranşehir neighborhood, where Mahsun Fırat allegedly killed Hatice Fırat before dumping her body in a nearby river.

Officials at Mersin University Medical Faculty later confirmed that the body belonged to Hatice Fırat.

via muslimwomennews.com