Turkish police to monitor ‘incel’ groups after brutal femicides

Turkish police started monitoring “incel” groups after finding out that Semih Çelik, who brutally murdered two 19-year-old women and then died by suicide, was in contact with people who call themselves “incels.” Some young men who consider themselves unable to attract women identify themselves as “incels” (involuntary celibates), showing hostility towards women and men who are sexually active.

Monday October 07 2024 05:19 pm

This photo shows a photo of murderer Semih Çelik from one of his videos

Duvar English

Turkish police started monitoring “incel” groups after the 19-year-old Semih Çelik brutally murdered two women on the same day in Istanbul, according to reporting from TV100.

After inspecting the murderer’s phone, the police found that Çelik was in contact with people who identify themselves as “incels.”

Some young men who consider themselves unable to attract women call themselves “incels,” showing hostility towards women and men who are sexually active. The word comes from “involuntarily celibate.” They also tend to create “incel” groups on social media to communicate.

After the femicides on Oct. 4, some of these group members were seen showing support for the murders on social media.

After these, the police started monitoring “incel” groups, as well as accounts that share violent and racist content. The efforts are expected to turn into operations and detentions.

Çelik on Oct. 4 brutally murdered İkbal Uzuner and Ayşegül Halil, two 19-year-old women, in Istanbul. He then died by suicide after jumping from the historic walls.

The country was outraged after it was revealed that the murderer decapitated Uzuner and threw her head from the walls.

Turkey has made moves in recent years to lessen protections for women.

In July 2021, the country formally withdrew from the Istanbul Convention (the Council of Europe’s Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence), a move that advocacy groups say was a major setback for women in the country.

Turkey was the first country to sign the Convention back in 2011.

Topics incel Femicides Femicides in Turkey murder women rights