Melek İpek: I want to tell what I lived through without fear

* Photo: ETHA

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WARNING: This news report is about an incident violence. While it does not share details, it recounts what happened. The content might trigger memories or have a traumatic effect on persons who witnessed or were subjected to violence, discrimination and hate before. In this case, you can contact a mental health specialist, an LGBTI+ organization in your city or write to the Purple Roof Women's Shelter Foundation for support.

Having killed her husband Ramazan İpek, who had tortured her naked and threatened her with death in Antalya, Melek İpek (31) had her first hearing at the Antalya 3rd Heavy Penal Court yesterday (March 15).

Arrested in Döşemealtı Type L Prison, İpek attended the hearing via the Audio and Visual Information System (SEGBİS). The relatives of Ramazan İpek, the family of Melek İpek and the attorneys of the parties were in the courtroom. Women's organizations also followed the hearing.

'He beat my daughter as well'

Making defense at court, Melek İpek said:

"There was no reason for him to beat me. He would beat me while we were joking around or when he saw in his dream that I left him.

"He would beat my 8-year-old elder daughter as well. But she could not cry. Because she was beaten more when she cried. But, now, I want to tell what I lived through without any shame or fear.

"My only dream was to become a math teacher. I was really successful. I met my husband upon the insistence of my friends. He had just returned from the mandatory military service. My husband saw me during a wedding and liked me. We met for a couple of months. I had not been even slapped by my father. While we were just friends, he started to get jealous and the violence began. I wanted to end my 3-month friendship.

"I said, 'I have dreams.' I said that I wanted to study. My friends told me that he wanted to meet me and I accepted to meet him for the last time.

"I accepted it for the last time and I did not go to school for the first time that day. He took me to the Ekşili Pond in the Ekşili Neighborhood. There was no one around in the daytime. The moment we got off the motorcycle, he attacked me and started to strip me. I shouted, I yelled, I tried to escape. But I could not make myself heard.

"He was treating me nice, he was saying that we would get married. He had a fight with his family. His family kicked him out of the house. My father first objected to our marriage, then approved it.

"I did not tell my family about what he had done to me. I completed the third year of high school. His family came, asked for my hand in marriage and we got engaged after some time.

"He would not hit me in visible parts of my body when we were engaged. He stayed with my family for a year. His violence against me started when we were just engaged. I felt compelled to marry him due to the intercourse that I did not want. I could not say anything to my family for this reason. We invited his family, but they did not come to our wedding.

'I had to drop out of school'

"A year after our engagement, we got married in 2008. We were also cross with one another back then. My father furnished our home after the wedding and we moved in this house afterwards.

"My husband used to work as a security guard. I also worked for some time. I convinced my husband and took the university entrance exam in 2010. I qualified for the Environmental Protection and Control Department of Akdeniz University's Technical Sciences Higher Education Institute. But I had to drop out of school after 1.5 years due to my husband's jealousy.

"We did not have trouble in the first months of pregnancy; but in the later months, he forced me to have anal sex, thinking that the child would get hurt otherwise. I would cry every time but he was enjoying it...

"He threatened my father and mother with death. He was especially threatening me with raping my sister before my eyes. After the child was born, this time, he started threatening me with killing the child. I really insisted that Melike leave, but he was still threatening me."

Following the defense of Melek İpek, the court board has ruled that her imprisonment shall continue. The next hearing is on April 2.

What happened?

Melek İpek, using her right of self-defense, shot her husband inflicting violence on her and her children to death with a hunting rifle in Antalya.

She called the gendarmerie and turned herself in after the incident. When she was detained the signs of trauma were visible on her face and body.

While Melek İpek was arrested pending trial, her statement added to the indictment indicated that Melek and Ramazan İpek got married 12 years ago and the man systematically subjected her to violence.

The statements of her two children, also added to the indictment, confirmed what Melek İpek previously said.

The bill of indictment also referred to the statements of a woman who was allegedly having an affair with Ramazan İpek. The woman stated that as he was doing to Melek İpek, the man was inflicting violence on her as well, adding that she was afraid of filing a criminal complaint against the man as he was threatening her with harming her family.

The indictment filed against Melek İpek on charge of "wilful killing" was accepted by the Antalya 3rd Heavy Penal Court. According to the indictment, İpek faces 18 to 24 years in prison. (EMK/SD)