The particularly horrific method of execution has made Medine stand out among the women murdered by male relatives in this country. The alleged “honor killing” has, not surprisingly, elicited strong reactions.Many local readers will have quickly dismissed the case as further evidence of backward behavior in rural eastern Turkey. And in the Western world, where the teenager’s grisly death made headlines, readers probably received the story with a mixture of fascination and horror, before filing it in their minds as another example of barbarity committed in distant -- and Muslim -- lands.
More detailed reports that have since emerged in the local press suggest that the only “dishonorable” aspect of Medine’s behavior was her refusal to accept that the regular beatings she and her female relatives received at the hands of her tyrannical and devout grandfather were an inescapable fate.
Medine trusted the authorities enough to take the risk of going to the police station not once but, according to the Hürriyet daily, four times to report physical abuse.
I have not personally investigated Medine’s case. My understanding of it is based on incomplete newspaper reports. But in the course of my research for a forthcoming book on honor killings, I have examined many cases of murders allegedly motivated by honor in Turkey and in other countries.
Many of them, like this one, seemed to have been motivated by the victim rebelling against brutal family domination. Whether they were teenagers refusing to marry the candidate chosen by their parents, battered wives trying to leave an abusive relationship or girls publicly denouncing the mistreatment or even incest they endured at home, the victims were often linked by the belief that they deserved a better life.
Most of the men who kill a female relative, wife, ex-wife or girlfriend in Turkey these days claim they do so to protect their honor. The victim, who is no longer there to defend herself, is accused of adultery or promiscuous behavior. Proof of misconduct is rarely forthcoming and, in any case, would not justify murder, but the claims perpetuate the notion that if a woman or a girl is murdered, there must be a reason. She must have done something wrong.
By allowing murderers to taint their victims’ reputation, in spite of a Constitution that gives women an equal right to choose how to run their lives, society is often complicit.
Medine’s family had broken the law on several counts. Primary education is compulsory for all Turkish children, yet Medine, who was one of 10 siblings, and her sisters were among hundreds of thousands who still fall through the cracks. This fact in itself should have been a red flag for the policemen who handled her case. Abuse, too, is a crime.
Law enforcement was stirred into action when the young girl mentioned her grandfather’s illegal firearm, which he allegedly used to threaten her, but after charges were filed she was still sent home to face his wrath. Once again the authorities failed in their duty of protection.
Her body was discovered 40 days after her death not because dutiful officials worried for her safety were investigating her claims but as a result of an anonymous tip. The dirt found in her lungs and stomach contradicts neighbors’ suggestions that her death might have been an accident that was covered up.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently spoke of his wife’s tears after she was unfairly denied access to a military hospital because she wears a headscarf. The outrageous discriminatory measure has been the subject of heated debates.
But when it comes to women who face daily mistreatment at home and risk being killed, politicians across the political spectrum appear equally tongue-tied. As long as this country’s leaders do not loudly and publicly denounce these crimes and take effective action to protect potential victims, it is not only the reputation of innocent young girls that will be tainted; perceptions of Turkey, too, will continue to suffer.
