The one sentence that could save women's lives in Turkey

A lawyer who has been threatened in the past by angry partners for providing legal support to women suffering from domestic violence, ?dil Elveri? from Bilgi University, started the ?sendeanlat? (?Tell Your Story?) hashtag on Twitter. As of yesterday afternoon, the hashtag ranked second in Twitter?s trending topics, after #ÖzgecanAslan - the name of the brutally murdered young woman who resisted a rape attempt. Ironically, after reading various anecdotes of harassment and abuse, several men tweeted that they were ashamed by them.

With all due respect to the strength of the virtual world, I must admit that none of the tweeted anecdotes could have the same effect as watching a young woman in Kayseri crying out to protesting crowds about how her rape case had ended in court. ?The judge said there was consent and the man walked out free,? she said in tears.

Özgecan Aslan?s cold blooded murder has triggered a debate about the sentences issued in cases of murders of women and sexual-physical-psychological abuse/harassment cases. Unfortunately, the debate is going in the wrong direction. Many, including women (and even, pathetically, the female minister of family and social policies affairs), have called for the reinstatement of the death penalty.
 
Elveri? has strongly criticized this. ?I am against the death penalty. The death penalty has never solved anything. If it had ever been useful Iran or Saudi Arabia, those countries would be a haven in terms of women rights. So many innocent people are released while others wait for the death penalty,? she said.
 
We are all humans and we can all make mistakes. The judicial system is made of humans and even the best functioning judicial system can make mistakes. However, there is no place for the...