A local court in Izmir decided for the first time in Turkey on Tuesday to change the whole life, including the appearance, of a young woman who suffered violence from the boyfriend she wanted to be separated from.

The twenty-year old university student wanted to break-up with her boyfriend but he made her life a nightmare with constant violence, threats and pressure. She pressed charges against him and a restraining order was put into effect.

However, these measures were unable to stop the violence, and the 20 year-old forced to apply for a full life change using the right given by the Code of Family Protection and Prevention of Violence Against Women. Her first application was denied by the court but the revision request by the plaintiff's party was evaluated positively. The court granted, for the first time in Turkey, a permanent change of appearance, identity information and address.

The plaintiff will be subject to a plastic surgery, with the entire financial burden to be covered by the state as mandated by the law, along with living costs if necessary.

The plaintiff's advocate Mehmet Harun Elçi stated that such a result could have been avoided if the precautions against the assailant had worked. Elçi said that they still regard the decision positively as it would provide a pretext for future decisions.

The need for such an extreme measure to protect a person has provoked public outcry in Turkey.