Media Just Exhibits Honor Crimes

UN Population Fund (UNFPA), in a number of studies on honor crimes found that the media is acting irresponsibly in its coverage and is only paying attention to ratings. The Istanbul bureau of the fund came to the conclusion that "the media doesn't look into the murders, it only displays them."

According to Diyarbakir Women's Center (KA-MER) 84 percent of the women who call the Emergency Help Line are economically dependant.

On the day the new Turkish Penal Code (TCK) went into effect, there was a new incident of violence against women in Southeastern Turkey.

Fourteen-year-old R.B. was killed by her 16-year-old sister for getting pregnant out of a wedlock.

In its annual report the Human Rights Association said that 40 of the 77 women killed by members of their family in 2003 were probably victims of "honor crimes."

UNFPA: Media only exposes crimes

According to a research in Istanbul titled "Breaking the Silence" by the Turkey bureau of the UNFPA, the reasons of honor crimes are compiled under five main topics.

* Social and economic

* Patriarchal structure

* The family's role within the society

* Social pressure on men

* Personal reasons and the moment of insanity

The research also draws attention to the negative role the media plays on honor crimes:

"It was found that people who were interviewed about the reasons of honor crimes described the media's role as 'negative, provocative, discriminating.' Researchers concluded that the media is just a means of displaying the crime rather than a mechanism that looks into the subject and that proposes ways to solve the problem."

Emergency Help Line in Diyarbakir

Another survey result came from Diyarbakir. Diyarbakir's KA-MER set up an Emergency Help Line for women who are subjected to violence in Southeastern Turkey where honor crimes are most frequent.

KA-MER said they received 2,120 applications regarding domestic violence and honor crimes.

Hundred percent of the applications were psychological. Seventy-five percent (1,590) of applicants complained of verbal abuse, 73.6 percent (1,560) complained of economic issues, 49.7 percent (1053) of sexual harassment, 16.3 percent (346) complained of incest and 13.6 percent complained of rape.

59.1 percent (1252) of applicants were formally married. Fifty-seven percent (1208) of the women were married through match-making by their families.

Most of the calls into KA-MER's Emergency Help Line since 1997 until April 2005 were made by Diyarbakir residents who spoke Kurdish and had a low level of literacy.

84 percent want the women to be "punished"

According to a CEDAW report by Ucan Supurge (Flying Broom) 54 women were victims of honor crimes covered by the media between 2000-2004.

In a joint study with Dicle University, KA-MER found out that the phenomena of "tradition and honor" were the main reasons of most murders.

A survey by Professor Doctor Aytekin Sir from Dicle University revealed that 84 percent of the local people want the women to be punished.

37.4 percent of those surveyed said the women must be "killed." Among other ways of punishment are poisoning, cutting of nose or ears or shaving the head.

NGO's: Measures in TCK won't be effective unless the right conditions are established

About 5,000 girls and women are killed annually in the world. Honor crimes are committed in 14 countries including Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey.

According to the Women's Organization Terre des Femmes honor crimes aren't only committed in Islamic countries but also in Brazil, Ecuador and Italy. Such crimes are also frequent among immigrant families in Europe.

Non-governmental organizations believe that the recent amendments to the TCK may reduce honor crimes.

However, the NGOs emphasize that legal measures won't be effective unless necessary social and economic measures are taken, unemployment is reduced, living conditions are improved, trust between people are established, institutions providing social and psychological support to women are set up, women are provided with shelters, and those who work in the fields of education and social services receive special training on honor murders. (AD/TK/EA/YE)