Hundreds took part in a silent procession called “Light into the Darkness” in the Beşikdüzü district of Trabzon in northeastern Türkiye to honor Sinem Somun, a ship captain candidate shot and killed by her husband during their divorce.
The killing occurred around 10:30 p.m. on July 31 in the Adacık neighborhood. Ali Eren Somun, a minibus driver with a restraining order against him, went to his wife’s home during their divorce process. After an argument and struggle, he shot her. Despite medical efforts, Somun, wounded in the leg and back, died.
Ali Eren Somun fled but was captured by special forces while sleeping in a tent in a wooded area near Sinop, on Türkiye’s northern coast. He was sent to jail to await a trial.
Somun, who was preparing to start as a captain on the ship where she interned, was buried in the Eynesil district of Giresun.
The march was organized to raise awareness of femicides and commemorate Somun. Participants walked silently in groups of 10, holding candles, flashlights and lights. No slogans or posters were used.
Somun’s grandparents, Gülnaz and Ali Haydar Topaloğlu, had difficulty standing. Close friends and other participants wept. Yasemin and Andrea Minguzzi, parents of Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, who was fatally stabbed in Istanbul, joined the march to support Somun’s family.
Yasemin Minguzzi said she attended to show solidarity: “Every year, Ahmet and I used to come to Trabzon. Unfortunately, this year is full of sorrow. It’s unbelievable. I still can’t grasp what happened. Ahmet is gone. The massacres continue. We will keep fighting until the end. I came here with a heartfelt promise to Sinem for her beautiful sister. I am very sad. I am here to support her family.”
Sinem Somun’s lawyer, Ozan Karagöz, said: “I am the lawyer of Sinem Topaloğlu, who was a victim of a treacherous attack on the night of July 31 and became the 259th woman to lose her life in 2025. The pain we have experienced since July 31 has been sorrowful, heavy and devastating for us and our city."
He said, "To illuminate this darkness of femicide descending upon our society, the people of Beşikdüzü, Görele, Trabzon and Akçaabat answered our call, contributing against femicides and becoming a light. Their will is a great call and voice from Trabzon to Türkiye."
"Today, this public walking silently with thousands of screams has shown its reaction to the end of femicides in Türkiye. Long live our people. May our women live freely and fearlessly under our flag.”
Aycan Aydemir, a marcher, said: “Femicide in Türkiye has increased a lot in recent years. Sinem was killed by her husband while everyone watched. We are doing this march for all the women who were killed. Hopefully, this will be the last one.”
The march ended after a one-minute moment of silence followed by applause.
