Allak, who was Stoned to Death, was Buried

The women, who supported Allak financially and psychologically during the eight months she spent in a coma at the hospital, are spending efforts to prevent honor killings.

Semse Allak, a pregnant woman, who was stoned to a coma by members of her family in the province of Mardin, was buried on June 20 in an unmarked grave in a funeral attended by some 50 women.

Her family stoned Allak some seven months ago because she had become pregnant out of wedlock. Allak died on June 7 after spending about seven months in a coma at the Hospital of Dicle University. She lost her baby in the meantime.

Allak was buried by the municipality because her family refused to accept the body. The women attending Allak's funeral did the funeral prayers.

The family stoned the 35-year-old Semse as she was trying to escape the village with her husband whom she married in a religious ceremony. She was five-months pregnant. Her husband, Halil Acil died at the site.

Allak had moved into Acil's house after becoming pregnant with his baby. Acil, 57, was already married with four children. Men from Allak's family decided to kill her because she had shamed the family by becoming pregnant out of a deadlock.

Semse and Halil, who heard about the decision, decided to escape the village. But members of Semse's family found them on the way and began throwing stones at them. Some say Semse was mentally disabled and Acil had raped her. Thus, the family had decided to kill Semse.

After Acil died, those who wanted to prevent this incident from turning into a blood feud, brought the families of Acil and Allak together at a "peace dinner." Allak's family said they were only trying to kill Semse and Acil was killed by mistake. And so the two families "made up."

Eight members of the Allak family are now being charged with "murder." The case changed course with the death of Allak, and four defendants have been arrested pending the outcome of the trial.

The local women were always by Semse's side at the hospital. Women from especially Ka-Mer (women's center) which provides psychological and legal support to violated women, supported Allak both financially and psychologically. The women buried Semse and pledged to do everything they can to prevent honor killings.

About 30 women have called Ka-Mer up to today and said they would be murdered in an honor killing. Nebahat Akkoc, one of the founders of Ka-Mer, who was among TIME's list of 38 "Heroes of the Modern Times," said they had to work very fast to prevent these women from being killed.

First of all, they provide psychological support to women who are violated or who face the danger of being killed. The women are sent to live either with relatives where they would be safe, or at the shelters of the Social Security Children's Organization.

According to Akkoc, "to be able to put an end to honor killings, the society needs to be informed and become more sensitive toward the issue. For this, the state institutions and municipalities need to start working with NGOs."

A story on the death of Semse Allak (http://www.bianet.org/2003/06/16/20014.htm) which was published in the daily Cumhuriyet was debated in the parliament last week.

Muharrem Dogan, a Republican People's Party (CHP) lawmaker from Mardin, said this was a judicial incident. Justice Minister Cemil Cicek said this was an isolated incident but "the newspaper report incriminated all the people in southeastern Turkey."

Lawyer Aysegul Kaya criticized the lawmakers. "Denying that women are murdered in honor killings means approving the killings... It is an undeniable fact that such killings are very frequent in the southeast."

"Instead of saying the journalists are misreporting this incident, the lawmakers should start looking into the issue and do whatever is necessary," said editor Ipek Calislar from the daily Cumhuriyet.

"No one can deny honor killings in this country. And denying would not change realities," she added. (OG/EA/NM)