Legal organisations in Istanbul have issued a joint call for justice, highlighting unresolved cases as part of a broader pattern of violence against women and girls and pledging to continue their struggle until accountability is achieved.
Gathering outside the Istanbul Courthouse in Çağlayan, representatives from multiple legal groups condemned what they described as negligence, cover-ups, and entrenched impunity following the killings of Gülistan Doku, Rojin Kabaiş, and Rojvelat Kızmaz. They stressed that failures in these investigations are not isolated incidents but reflect systemic violence that disproportionately affects women and girls, denying them their fundamental right to life and justice.
During the press statement, demonstrators carried banners and chanted slogans calling for “real justice” and asserting that violence against women is political. Speakers highlighted long delays in the Doku case, arguing that the lack of a timely and effective investigation demonstrates how institutions fail women. They noted that sustained public pressure has been crucial in keeping the case open.
The statement also drew attention to the suspicious death of Rojvelat Kızmaz, a close friend of Doku, pointing to similar patterns of delayed response and inadequate investigation. Legal representatives argued that such patterns reinforce a culture of impunity that enables continued violence against women and girls.
Allegations that evidence may have been destroyed and investigations obstructed by officials were cited as further indicators of systemic failure. The groups called for all those responsible, including public officials, to be fully investigated and held accountable.
Emphasising that cases involving women’s right to life must never be left unresolved, the legal organisations vowed to continue their fight in solidarity with victims and their families. They pledged to persist until the truth is uncovered, those responsible are prosecuted, and justice is delivered for all women and girls whose cases remain in the shadows.