Hate Murder in Downtown Istanbul

Gaye, a trans woman working as flower seller, has been found dead in her apartment in downtown Istanbul (Beyoğlu). 

The autopsy report will tell us how she was murdered, Ebru Kırancı from Istanbul LGBTT told bianet. “We have assigned a lawyer to this case and we will be on the pursuit.” 

Urging the officials to pass a law against hate crimes immediately, Kırancı said the following: 

“Gaye opened a flower shop. She had a lover for 15 years and they were living together. We have just met each other 3 days ago. She was murdered that night. Yesterday, they found her dead body. 

“This is another hate crime. But who did it? We need a law against hate crimes immediately. Is human life this cheap?” 

“As Istanbul LGBTT, we have assigned a lawyer for this case and we will be on the pursuit. Police didn’t make a statement on how the murder happened. When I went to her apartment last night, Gaye’s neighbors said she might have been strangled but ultimately we will find it after the autopsy.”

4 hate murders in 7 months

Kemal Ördek from Kırmızı Şemsiye Association said 4 trans people has so far been murdered and 11 assaulted in 2013.  

Ördek went on to say that the lack of protection measures on gender identity and the criticism on trans women through sex working rendered them into targets. 

“Trans murders usually take place through their gender identity or sex worker status. 3 out 4 trans murder victims were sex workers. Formerly a sex worker, Gaye was lately working as a flower seller. 

“Whether or not a trans person is a sex worker, there is apparently violence against them. This is mostly due to the lack of protective legislations. Legislations on sex workers don’t protect trans sex workers, instead it turns them into open targets.” 

“4 trans murders in 7 months is a serious toll. Every summer, the toll is on the rise. These are only the cases we know of. We don’t know what’s happening in 81 provinces of Turkey. We only know of cases when they happen in big cities or where trans communities are active. Therefore, we can’t tell an exact number.”

According to a report compiled by Kemal Ördek from local communities and media, 6 trans people were murdered within hate murders in 2012. 

By the end of July in 2013, 4 trans people were murdered in Istanbul (2), Kuşadası (1) and  Düzce (1). The death toll for homosexual men so far in 2013 turned out 2. (ÇT/BM)