Filiz Zeyrek/JINHA

ADANA – Lamia Balık, mother and grandmother to the two women found dead on the Adana-Mersin highway, condemned the mainstream media's presentation of the deaths as an "honor killing," saying that the killing was the result of a property dispute.

The bodies of Semira Balık (47) and her daughter Ayşe Işık (17) were found on the side of the road early yesterday morning. The perpetrators, it has emerged, were Semira's ex-husband Hüseyin Budak and his son Abdullah Budak. Mainstream media websites immediately began calling the deaths an "honor killing."Semira's mother and Ayşe's grandmother, Lamia, said that the day of the murder, Semira and her killer were going to appear in court to settle the division of property.

In the outrage over femicides in Turkey, the media's misrepresentation and legitimization of killings has been a sore spot for many women. One of them is Lamia, now mourning the loss of her daughter.

Lamia says Hüseyin Budak abused Semira from the first day of their marriage. Semira worked in the fields for years to care for the children.

"My daughter and her children gave that man his property through their work. But in spite of that my daughter went through torture," said Lamia. She explained that Hüseyin had forbidden her daughter from seeing anyone during the marriage.

They finally divorced four years ago after 27 years of marriage. They had seven children. Hüseyin remarried quickly after.

Even after the divorce, said Lamia, Hüseyin frequently threatened her daughter.Hüseyin had recently rented an apartment in Mersin for Semira to stay with her children, then declared that he would take Semira to court.

The day of the court date ended up being the day of the woman's murder. Lamia said she was deeply angered by the media coverage calling the murder of her daughter and granddaughter an "honor killing."

"Enough already, how much will they kill women? This male mindset kills women, then afterwards it legitimizes itself with slander," said Lamia. "Enough with this pain. If a father and a son can kill their mother and daughter, what is there to say?

"Let all women be able to defend themselves and fight to end femicide," said Lamia. "Enough already. Let no more women die."

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