Turkish man kills 25-year-old girlfriend in yet another femicide

A Turkish man named Furkan Zıbıncı killed his 25-year-old girlfriend Şebnem Şirin in her Denizli home on Oct. 27. It was later revealed that Zıbıncı had a criminal record of six charges including sexual abuse.

Thursday October 28 2021 12:46 pm

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A Turkish man named Furkan Zıbıncı murdered his 25-year-old girlfriend Şebnem Şirin in her home in the western province of Denizli on Oct. 27.

The two reportedly got in an argument after Şirin told Zıbıncı that she wanted to break up, which was followed by the man killing Şirin by cutting her throat. Zıbıncı fled the scene after the murder.

Turkey's We Will Stop Femicides Platform said shortly after reports of the murder that Zıbıncı had already been convicted of six crimes including sexual abuse.

"Was an active investigation conducted about the sexual abuse charges? Şebnem could have been here with us if Law 6284 and Istanbul Convention were enforced," the platform wrote in a tweet on Oct. 28.

Both pieces of legislation enforce the protection of women against domestic violence, although the president withdrew Turkey from Istanbul Convention earlier in 2021, prompting outrage among the feminist movement.

#ŞebnemŞirin ‘i öldüren, ayrılmak istediği erkek Furkan Zıbıncı’nın cinsel istismar dahil 6 suçtan sabıkalı olduğu ortaya çıktı.
Cinsel istismar suçuyla ilgili etkin soruşturma yürütülmüş müydü?

6284 ve İstanbul Sözleşmesi etkin uygulansaydı bugün Şebnem aramızda olabilirdi. pic.twitter.com/lK1tAcp34C
— Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu (@KadinCinayeti) October 28, 2021

The number of violence against women and femicides in Turkey has been on a steep increase in recent years, mostly due to the policies of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) that protect men.

In many cases, reports after the murders reveal that women sought help from authorities, but were ignored. Although the perpetrators are often detained, they are either released or get minor prison terms.

Similar to past instances of femicides, Şirin's name became a trending topic on Twitter on Oct. 27, with thousands of people saying "Enough" and calling on authorities to find a solution to the massacre of women.