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The fifth action plan of the Turkish government against femicides and violence targeting women was unveiled on Tuesday at an event in Ankara.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan attended the launch of the plan at the Congress and Culture Center of the Presidential Complex. He said the plan would ensure early response to cases of violence and the rehabilitation of offenders.
The plan, unveiled on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, aims for a multidimensional approach to end the violence.
“Both as president and a father of two daughters, I am at the forefront of the fight against violence targeting women,” Erdoğan told an audience of women at the event organized by the Ministry of Family and Social Services.
“Violence against women is a crime against humanity. No man with morals can engage in such acts. It is especially disgraceful for us as followers of a faith that sees Paradise lays at the feet of mothers,” Erdoğan said.
He stated that Türkiye was committed to ending the violence and said he was pleased to see more women stepping up to fight the violence. He noted that Türkiye was far more advanced than European countries in the elimination of violence against women.
“We changed paradigms in this matter but having even one woman suffering from domestic violence is a dire situation for us. Bear in mind that every act of violence we see on the news also means a life cut short, a child orphaned, a dream vanished. Even losing one person to violence is too many. We accomplished a lot in fighting the violence, but we still feel sorry for failing to completely eliminate it when we come across a new instance of violence,” he said.
“The cornerstone of the family, foundation of society, is the woman. If the woman is happy, the family is happy. If the woman is at peace, there is peace in that home. Violence against women is, above all, a grave blow to the peace of the family. In our culture, the family is considered a private institution. We have declared this year the ‘Year of the Family.’ What happens in a house is private, but if there is oppression, injustice or violence against women and children, we can no longer speak of family privacy,” Erdoğan said.
“Violence is not an issue confined to an individual; it is a problem that infects the entire society. Every act of violence that goes unaddressed grows over time and spreads to other situations. Children exposed to violence at an early age tend to resort to violence to solve their own problems.
“The solution lies in protecting and strengthening the family institution. In urban life, the burden on families continues to grow,” the president added. “A fair distribution of roles between men and women is essential. We cannot expect old patterns of behavior to continue unchanged. I believe fathers also bear significant responsibilities in raising children. As threats emerging from the digital world increase, shielding children is not only the duty of mothers but a primary responsibility of fathers as well. We must offer greater support to our spouses, with whom we share our lives. I urge fathers to take on more of the responsibility and put their hands to the task,” he said.
Every year, dozens of women are killed by their spouses, while more are subject to domestic violence across the country. Well-publicized killings of women by their current or ex-husbands or boyfriends drove Parliament to establish a committee to look into the matter. Official figures by the Interior Ministry show 217 women were killed in the first 10 months of 2025, although this number is lower compared to the same period in the first 10 months of 2024, when 290 women were murdered.
Since 2007, Türkiye has launched four national action plans in the fight against violence targeting women. The next plan will cover the 2026-2030 period.
Erdoğan said the new action plan will involve “social intervention that will raise awareness of the issue and ensure efficient legal protection for women, as well as enhancing access to judicial services. “We will improve the early response and intervention system and programs for behavioral transformation for those involved in violence against women.”
