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HONOR KILLING

An honor killing or honour killing is generally a punitive murder, committed by members of a family against a female member of their family whom the family and/or wider community believes to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman is usually targeted for: refusing an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce — even from an abusive husband — or committing adultery or fornication. These killings result from the perception that any behavior of a woman that "dishonors" her family is justification for a killing that would otherwise be deemed murder.

Human Rights Watch defines "honor killings" as follows:

Honor crimes are acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members, who are held to have brought dishonor upon the family. A woman can be targeted by (individuals within) her family for a variety of reasons, including: refusing to enter into an arranged marriage, being the victim of a sexual assault, seeking a divorce — even from an abusive husband — or (allegedly) committing adultery. The mere perception that a woman has behaved in a way that "dishonors" her family is sufficient to trigger an attack on her life.[3]

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honor_killing


The Republic of Turkey
Prime Ministry
Human Rights Presidency

Number: B.02.0.ÝHB.563.02 ......................................................../04/2008
Subject: Honour Killlings


THE GOVERNORSHIP OF ………….
(The Presidency of Provincial Human Rights Board)


As mentioned in Prime Ministry Circular No. 2006/17 that was published by Official Gazette No. 26218 on 4/7/2006, Violence against Women still keeps up to date. The most implacable example of this violence is the woman murders named as “honour killlings” in common opinion.

Statistics and other documents about these cases, which were taken from Criminal Registry and Statistics General Directorate, Ministry of Justice, are available on Prime Ministry’s web site (www.ihb.gov.tr). According to these statistics, the amount of honour killings” in 2001-2002 and 2007 is similar. Namely, the proportional decrease of murders in 2003-2004-2005 did not continue.

On the basis of 10th, 11th and 12th articles of Regulation on Duty and Action of Provincial and County Committees about Human Rights, especially on the basis of paragraph (b) in 12th Article; the mentioned below studies must be realized:

a) Required information must be taken from Sub-Province Human Rights Boards,
b) Determination of “honour killings” in province,
c) Determination of psycho-social reasons of murders,
d) Committee argumentation about required precautions against murders,
e) To manufacture public opinion about this kind of murders.

In this way, police, gendarme, Chief Public Prosecutor records have got big importance. Moreover, the suspicious about some suicides can be evaluated as murder cases.

I request you to inform Chairmanship about the results of the studies that will be made with collaboration between Provincial and Sub-Provincial Human Rights Boards and other relative organizations.

Prof. Dr. Hasan T. FENDOÐLU
Human Rights President

Annex:

1) Prime Ministry circular numbered 2006/17.
2) The documents of Judicial Record and Statistics Directorate of Ministry of Justice.
3) The report of the Public Security Department of the General Directorate of Security
4) www.ksgm.gov.tr (reports)
5) Report of KAMER.

Distribution:

Requirement to 81 governorship.

Note: All the attachments can be found at www.ihb.gov.tr. The attchments are not seperately sent to the provinces.