JINHA

ADANA – Women’s groups have headed to the courthouse in the town of Tarsus, Turkey to protest male violence in the second hearing of the high-profile Özgecan Aslan femicide case.

In February, university student Özgecan Aslan was the last passenger remaining on a bus heading to her home from her university campus in the town of Tarsus, in southern Turkey. That night, the bus driver and two other men raped and brutally killed Özgecan, then abandoned her burned body. Özgecan’s death sparked protests against femicide across Turkey.

Today, the second hearing has begun for bus driver Suphi Altındöken (26); his father Necmettin Altındöken (50); and his friend Fatih Gökçe (25), charged in the Özgecan killing. Women gathered outside the courthouse early this morning to protest. The women are demanding that the men receive life in prison and chanting the slogan, “real justice, not male justice.”

The prosecutor has requested aggravated life in prison for all three and for charges of sexual assault to be added to the charges against Suphi Altındöken and Fatih Gökçe. The defendants, teleconferencing in from jail, began the hearing by protesting their innocence, as they have before. The court will meet against on December 3, until which time the defendants will continue to be jailed.

(fz/gc/cm)