In 2005 Turkey introduced a set of legal reforms that were aimed at curbing incidents of honour killings and punishing those responsible. But in the years since this reform, there are still reports of gender-based violence and such honour killings - in which someone (usually a woman) is killed due to the perception that they have brought 'dishonour' upon their family or community - are still taking place. Here, Nur Banu Kavakli Birdal asks: what has gone wrong? What is problematic about the relation between written law and reality? Why has this new law not had a lasting impact on women's everyday lives? In looking at the interplay between state and society through the lens of honour killings, Birdal offers a sociological insight into modern Turkey which will appeal to those involved in the study of this country and the wider region.
Author Biography
Nur Banu Kavakli Birdal is Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Social Policy Forum at Bogazici University. She holds a PhD in Sociology from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.
