A heartbreaking case of femicide has gripped Turkey as an 18-year-old girl, Oya Budak, was reportedly murdered by her fiancé after discovering she was five-and-a-half months pregnant from an earlier r@pe.
The teen, who was allegedly unaware of being pregnant until she complained of pain, was taken to the hospital by her fiancé. It was there that the pregnancy was discovered. Reports indicate that upon learning about the pregnancy and its origin, the 19-year-old fiancé ended the engagement and, in a shocking turn of events, shot Oya in the chest.
Both the young woman and her unborn child tragically died from the injuries despite being rushed to the hospital. The suspect has since been arrested by Istanbul authorities and reportedly confessed to the crime.
Local sources, including the victim’s grandfather Orhan Budak, said the family was unaware that Oya had been r@ped prior to the engagement. The fiancé’s family, once informed about the pregnancy, is said to have objected strongly to the union, allegedly fueling the young man’s motive for the crime.
This incident marks the 209th femicide in Turkey in 2025 alone, according to data from prominent women’s rights organizations. Activists and watchdogs have repeatedly raised concerns about the alarming rise in gender-based violence and femicide in the country, citing systemic inaction by authorities and a culture of silence and stigma surrounding such crimes.
The murder has reignited calls for stricter legal frameworks, protective measures for women, and education against honour-based violence, which continues to claim lives in deeply conservative communities.
Turkish officials have yet to release an official statement, but public outcry grows, with women’s rights groups urging the government to act decisively against the epidemic of femicides and gender-based violence.
As the nation mourns another preventable death, the case of Oya Budak stands as a painful reminder of the urgent need to address violence against women in Turkey and beyond.
