"A Century’s Progress: Domestic Violence Not Yet Rectified in Turkey" by Elif Nazli Hamutcu

In 1911, the penalty for adultery was made equal for men and women; in 1917, forced and underage marriages were declared illegitimate; and, in 1926, with the new Turkish Civil Code, a monogamous marriage in which women have a right to divorce, custody, and property was made compulsory (Türkiye’de Kadın); yet a century has passed and the headline still reads: "15-year-old girl killed by family after being raped by cousins" (15-year-old Girl).

In the Turkish society, domestic violence against women threatens lives, puts women in a submissive role where they virtually have no control, and impedes their quality of life. The rampant problem of domestic violence in Turkey dates back to the Ottoman Empire, when women were in effect men’s properties and were disposable to their satisfaction. Though there is no longer a need for Abduction from the Seraglio, women are still perceived below men and are abused in the one place they should feel most secure –their home– by the people they should trust the most –their husbands, fathers and brothers–.

Domestic violence can be of many forms, be it rape, physical harassment, or emotional abuse, all of which are all too common in Turkey. Any act of a married man against his family, however illegal or condemned the act may otherwise be when done against a stranger, is considered to be in a private zone where a third party interference is not allowed; domestic violence against women is more legitimized and less regulated than any other type of violence. According to a 2014 study done by Hacettepe University and the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, thirty eight percent of women have been subjected to either physical and/or sexual violence by their husbands/partners, and nearly half of married women have been subjected to acts of emotional violence at any point in their lives (Domestic Violence). Damaging one’s own property is not a criminal action; thus, in a patriarchal society like Turkey, this permissiveness for domestic abuse insinuates that women are the private property of men. Domestic violence against women destroys women's self-respect, self-confidence, and sets a damaging precedent for their children. The millennium-old Turkish culture, marital traditions, and legal and political discrimination are why women are abused and have no economic independency, close to no political representation, and in rape, divorce, and custody cases, are often treated as second class citizens. The reason why men see themselves above women and are treated as so in a contemporary world where females have every right that men do –at least on paper–, is because despite the political and legal attempts to reach gender equality, the mindset of the people did not change and nor did the power-balance in Turkish families. Kids continue to grow up in households where the mother is oppressed and often abused, and when these kids start their own families, the boys think it right to act as their fathers did and the girls believe they cannot prevent such treatment. This vicious and pervasive cycle continues to exist through the transfer of the roles of perpetrator and compliant onto the future generations.

Domestic violence is a deep-rooted problem in Turkey, thus it is not plausible to expect it to be resolved through simple legislation. Time, media, and education are key in the road of achieving a complete change of mindset, as simply punishing one man will barely change anything for the abused millions in the long run. Education should not be limited to schools and academics, but should rather be incorporated into society and aim to show the youth, both young girls and boys, that men and women are equal in power, intelligence, and rights. In the twenty first century, media has access to every household and through its correct usage, there is an opportunity to make families realize what a ‘normal,’ non-abusive relationship should be like. If past and current victims, the government, and sensible citizens work together, only then can there be hope to end domestic violence. It will take decades, surely, but with cooperation, awareness, and consideration in this ever-modernizing world, an end to domestic violence is possible and on its way.