The Ministry of Family and Social Policies announced that 41,000 women were taken under state protection in the past four years, after falling victim to domestic violence. Minister Sema Ramazanoğlu told parliament that the Turkish state has expanded protection for victims, with numbers up from 2,423 in 2012 to 15,430 in 2015, and added that she would build more Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers to offer consultation to victims. Turkey hosts 40 centers where social workers, psychiatrists and consultants serve to support women who have suffered abuse and violence at the hands of their spouses. Ramazanoğlu said these women receive financial aid from the ministry, and the government paid more than TL 54,000 to 25 women in 2015.
Domestic violence and the murder of women by their husbands, partners and relatives have long been thorny issues in Turkey, where broader media coverage has made the disturbing phenomenon more visible. Factors ranging from a warped mindset motivating men to kill women who cheat on them in so-called honor killings, alongside lighter sentences for men who murder women, are blamed for the prevalence. A total of 413 women were killed by their spouses and relatives between February 2015 and February 2016, according to a nonprofit organization.
Although police protection and shelters are available for women threatened by their spouses, authorities say it is difficult to prevent murders or acts of violence simply through legal measures. The government is preparing an action plan to fight violence against women. The action plan is expected to improve legal and preventative measures by the judiciary and law enforcement, and further raise awareness about the issue.
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