ANKARA - HDP member Oya Ersoy asked the Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık about the capacity of the shelters in Turkey.

 

Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) Istanbul MP Oya Ersoy brought the shelters to the agenda of the assembly. Oya gave a parliamentary question to the presidency of the assembly, with the request of the Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık to answer the issue.

 

‘Shelters are life assurance for women’

 

The parliamentary question stated that shelters are places where women who are subjected to male violence can stay with their children and receive support to establish an independent life free from violence, and it was emphasized that shelters should be considered as a life guarantee for all women at this time when violence against women has almost turned into femicide against women.

 

There are 145 shelters in Turkey

 

According to the Law No. 5393, it was stated that shelters should be opened in regions with a population exceeding 100,000, and according to the information included in the 2021 budget presentation of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, it was stated that there are only 145 shelters in Turkey.

 

‘An atmosphere of solidarity should be created’

 

The parliamentary question stated the following: “In addition to the independent women's counseling and solidarity centers run by women's organizations, the municipality also opens counseling centers for women. Women counseling centers aim to considering all kinds of discrimination and violence against women. So, women come together to realize their demands and opinions towards their needs and they can receive legal and psychological counseling support against domestic and out-of-home violence. An atmosphere of solidarity should be created.

 

‘126 women were killed in the first five months of the year’

 

In the parliamentary question, which drew attention to the killing of 126 women by men in the first five months of the year, the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention resulted in the absence of protective and preventive measures. It was pointed out that the inadequacy of shelters, Violence Prevention and Monitoring Centers (ŞÖNİM) and Women's Counseling Centers causes violence and femicides to increase and not to be prevented.