A tragic event has shocked the Turkish capital, where a 35-year-old man, who had left prison on a few-day leave, killed his 8-year-old daughter, his mother, his wife and then himself.
According to Turkish media, Recep Cengiz had received 11 days of leave from prison, where he was serving a sentence for fraud and threatening with a weapon. Armed, he first went to the apartment of his mother, Azize Cengiz, 57, in the Ku?ca??z neighborhood of Ankara, where his daughter, Azra, also lived.
After an argument with his mother, he opened fire, leaving them both dead at the scene. He then reportedly drove to the home of his estranged wife, Beyzanur Uçan Cengiz, 28. It is believed he hid the bodies of mother and daughter in the trunk of his car.
It is suspected that, fearing that his wife would not open the door, he disguised himself as a postman. As soon as she opened the door, he shot her. Shortly after, he killed himself.
Beyzanur, according to sources, was in the process of divorcing at the time of the incident. The manager of the building where the second attack took place stated that the couple had only been married six or seven months before and had had ongoing problems, including a protection order against the perpetrator.
The incident has sparked backlash and small protests in Ankara, where women's rights activists have called for stronger protections against violence against women. Representatives of civil society organizations have stressed that most cases of femicide are committed by people close to the victims.
Activists warn that the situation has worsened following Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in 2021, a Council of Europe human rights treaty aimed at combating violence against women and domestic violence.
The recent event has reopened the debate on the prison leave system and protective measures against women in cases of domestic violence.
