Stories of women who lost their lives due to male violence in July

According to data from the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, 31 women, including one pregnant woman, lost their lives due to male violence in July 2025. We have compiled the stories of the women killed in July.

Compiled by: Rüveyda Durgut

According to data from the We Will Stop Femicide Platform, at least 31 women, including one pregnant woman, lost their lives to male violence in July. The perpetrator was often the woman's closest relative: her husband, boyfriend, son, or sibling. Some women moved from city to city to escape the violence, while others filed multiple complaints.

Özlem Özayyıldız (27) lived in Küçükçekmece, Istanbul. She had married Nazım Özayyıldız approximately two months ago. Özlem Ayyıldız was attacked with fists by her husband. The young woman hit her head on the marble and died.

Living in the Bağlar district of Diyarbakır, Sibel Narin was shot and killed by her father-in-law, Nuri Narin.

Living in Amasya, Kader Köse (30) lost her life after being shot by her husband Yunus Köse, who was released from prison.

Özlem Bostancı (35) lived with her husband Engin Bostancı in Çaycuma, Zonguldak. Allegedly, an argument broke out between the couple for an unknown reason. Özlem Bostancı died after being stabbed by her husband.

Living in the Atakum district of Samsun, Sevda Türker (44) was beaten by her boyfriend, Kemal Gündoğdu. Türker, who went to the hospital by her own means, lost her 22-day fight for life.

Songül Budak (40) lost her life after being shot by her husband AB, from whom she wanted to divorce, in Başakşehir, Istanbul.

Nazife Ateş (19) was a first-year student at Ege University's Department of Child Development. She had gone to visit her family in the Manavgat district of Antalya for a holiday. Nazife Ateş was stabbed 14 times by her older brother, Mehmet Ateş.

Kezban Demirci (42) was living in a container with her family in the Bala district of Ankara. She died after being shot with a pump-action shotgun by three attackers who approached the container. It was revealed that Kezban Demirci's son-in-law was the one who killed her. Four people were arrested: Demirci's son-in-law, her brother, and two accomplices.

Ayşe Tokyaz (22) had come to Istanbul from Reyhanlı, Hatay, to study at university. Tokyaz was killed by her boyfriend, Cemil Koç, whom she wanted to break up with. Her lifeless body was found in a suitcase left on the roadside in Eyüpsultan.

Eylem Yeşilkaya (25), a mother of two, was seriously injured by Ö.Y., with whom she had a religious marriage, with more than 20 stab wounds. Yeşilkaya died in the hospital to which she was taken.

Fati Asan (46) lost her life after being stabbed in Bartın by her ex-husband Erdinç Asan, from whom she divorced about a month ago.

İlayda Alkaş (22) was shot and killed by Cemal Alparslan in front of her building as she was about to enter her home in Diyarbakır. Following her death, it was revealed that Alkaş had traveled from city to city to escape her killer. To conceal her identity, she first hid in Batman, then in Izmir and Antalya.

It was revealed that Gönül Çelen (26), a mother of one who lost her life after being hit by a train in Pendik, Istanbul 20 years ago, was the victim of murder. Teams from the Homicide Bureau of the Istanbul Police Department detained seven suspects in connection with the incident.

Shabana Solaiman Khill (29) lost her life after being stabbed in the throat by her boyfriend in her home in the Tepebaşı district of Eskişehir.

Rojda A. (14) lived in Diyarbakır-Dicle. Her older brother ZA (16) wanted to send Rojda to the market. Rojda lost her life as a result of the violence she was subjected to by her brother because she did not want to go to the market.

Demet Akarsu (45) was killed by her ex-husband Halil Tezkorkmaz, from whom she divorced in June, in the Çiğli district of İzmir.

Having not heard from Haniye Arap (17), relatives went to her home and found her motionless on the sofa, covered in a blanket. An investigation was launched into the incident. Police received information from neighbors that Haniye Arap had argued with her husband, ND, the night before the incident and apprehended the suspect, ND, in the Konak district of Izmir.

Aynur İşgüder (67) was killed by her husband Muhittin İşgüder in Başakşehir, Istanbul.

Selda Kaya (36) lost her life after being shot by her ex-husband GK in the Hekimhan district of Malatya in the morning hours.

Dinara Alya Urkasimova (63) was an Uzbek national living in Çanakkale. Police went to Urkasimova's home after relatives reported her missing. Her boyfriend, Metin K., answered the door. During the investigation, Urkasimova's lifeless body was found wrapped in plastic wrap in a locked massage room. Metin K. was arrested.

Nazlı Çokgezme (45) and her husband, Emir Çokgezme, lived in Kahramanmaraş. Following an argument between the couple, Emir Çokgezme left the house. Nazlı Çokgezme took food to Emir Çokgezme's workplace to try to make peace. The woman died after being shot in the head by Emir Çokgezme while she was there.

Belkıs Durmuş (67) lived with her son in Mersin. Durmuş was stabbed by her son AD. Neighbors who heard Durmuş screaming alerted them to the house and dispatched medical and police teams. It was determined that Durmuş died after being stabbed in several places by her son AD.

Living in Diyarbakır, Helin Eren (19) was five months pregnant. She lost her life after being shot by her partner, Siyand Şeker.

Nurcan Özkul (40) was stabbed to death in various parts of her body by Ali Özelmiş.

Living in Mersin, Türkan Söylemez (56) and her daughter Aygül Çınar (26) were shot in the head while at home. Çınar's brother-in-law, Ö.Ç., is suspected of murdering the mother and daughter.

Semra Çelik (29) was shot in the head and killed in a sunflower field in the Havsa district of Edirne. Zeki Doğan was caught and arrested in the house where she was hiding in Osmaniye.

In Adana – Çukurova district, prison guard Eyüp verim killed his wife Merve verim (36) and daughter Elif verim (8) by shooting them with a gun.

Devrim Saf (47) was shot dead with a rifle by his brother-in-law Ferhat Saf, with whom he had a fight over a land dispute in Samandağ, Hatay.

It was revealed that Gönül Çelen, a mother of one who died 20 years ago after being struck by a train in Pendik, Istanbul, was the victim of murder. Istanbul Police Department Homicide Bureau teams detained seven suspects in connection with the incident.

A missing person report was filed three years ago for Aysun Derse, who lives in Muğla. It was revealed that Derse was murdered. Of the 10 suspects in the case, Derse's husband, Metin Derse, two brothers-in-law, and her cousin were arrested.