Women's groups in Turkey are seeking to intervene in the case of Ayse Yilbas, a 24-year-old medical student who was killed by her husband on 22 February 2008. The groups are opposed to a provision in Turkish law allowing punishments to be reduced in cases of "unjust provocation," which remains in the Turkish Penal Code despite a recent revision.Many legal systems throughout the world allow women's organizations to act as interveners in trials, but the Turkish groups believe their petition to intervene in Yilbas's case is unlikely to be accepted. In Turkey, only members of the victim's family may be appointed as interveners in trials, and they often are not effective advocates for victim’s rights, particularly in cases of honor killings. Canan Arin, a lawyer working with Mor Çati (Purple Roof) Women's Shelter Foundation, stated that feminists have been unsuccessfully attempting to intervene in cases like this one for years.
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Compiled from: Women's eNews; Sevim Songün, "Feminists seek to advocate for victims in courts," Turkish Daily News, 14 May 2008.