Hatun Sürücü
Encyclopedia
Hatun "Aynur" Sürücü was a Kurdish woman living in Germany whose family was originally from Erzurum
, Turkey
. She was murdered at the age of 23 in Berlin
, by her own youngest brother, in an honor killing
. Sürücü had divorced the cousin she was forced to marry at the age of 16, and was reportedly dating a German man. Her murder inflamed a public debate over forced marriage
in Muslim
families.
Sürücü was sent back to her ancestral village by her family and forced to marry a cousin there at the age of 16. She gave birth to a son, Can, in 1999. In October 1999, she fled her parent's home in Berlin, finding refuge in a home for underage mothers. She attended school, and had moved into her own apartment in the Tempelhof
neighborhood of Berlin. At the time of her murder, she was at the end of her training to become an electrician
.
, since Hatun had received threats and reported them to police before she was killed.
In April, 2006, Ayhan was sentenced to nine years and three months in prison, and his two older brothers were acquitted of charges of conspiring to murder their sister. The prosecution appealed on a point of law at the Federal Court of Justice, the Bundesgerichtshof, immediately and the 5th criminal division of the Federal Court of Justice overturned the conviction and allowed the revision. A new criminal proceeding was to take place in August 2008.
origin reportedly applauded the crime. During a class discussion on the murder, one allegedly said that she "only had herself to blame," while another remarked "She deserved what she got – the whore lived like a German." The Director of the school, Volker Steffens, sent a strongly worded letter to students of the school and their parents, warning that the school would not tolerate incitement against freedom.
On February 22, 2005, a vigil called by the Berlin Gay and Lesbian association was held at the scene of the crime, which was attended by about 100 Germans and Turks together. A second vigil, called for by German politicians and artists, was held on the 24th of February.
Sürücü's murder, and several similar cases in Germany and elsewhere in Europe
have been cited by political opponents of Turkey
's admission to the European Union
, as an example of disregard for human rights
in the Turkish culture. Oddly Hatun Sürücü was of Kurdish descent.
The Sürücü family's behaviour again sparked public outrage when Hatun's sister Arzu applied for custody of Hatun's six-year-old son Can, who has lived with a foster family in Berlin since the murder of his mother. Eight months later the district court of Berlin-Tempelhof rejected the request. Arzu Sürücü appealled this decision but was rejected.
The public continues to demonstrate for Hatun on the anniversary of her death. Activists and citizens lay wreaths in her memory and campaign for help for girls who are faced with forced marriage and honor-related violence.
Erzurum Province
Erzurum Province is a Province of Turkey, in the Eastern Anatolia Region of the country. It is bordered by the provinces of Kars and Ağrı to the east, Muş and Bingöl to the south, Erzincan and Bayburt to the west, Rize and Artvin to the north and Ardahan to the northeast. The provincial capital is...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
. She was murdered at the age of 23 in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, by her own youngest brother, in an honor killing
Honor killing
An honor killing or honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community...
. Sürücü had divorced the cousin she was forced to marry at the age of 16, and was reportedly dating a German man. Her murder inflamed a public debate over forced marriage
Forced marriage
Forced marriage is a term used to describe a marriage in which one or both of the parties is married without his or her consent or against his or her will...
in Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
families.
Sürücü was sent back to her ancestral village by her family and forced to marry a cousin there at the age of 16. She gave birth to a son, Can, in 1999. In October 1999, she fled her parent's home in Berlin, finding refuge in a home for underage mothers. She attended school, and had moved into her own apartment in the Tempelhof
Tempelhof
Tempelhof is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. It is now deserted and shows as a blank spot on maps of Berlin. Attempts are being made to save the still-existing...
neighborhood of Berlin. At the time of her murder, she was at the end of her training to become an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
.
Murder
On February 7, 2005, at a bus stop near her apartment, she was killed by three gunshots to the head. The police arrested her three brothers on the 14th of February. After several weeks of news coverage, the media began to label the motive of the murder an honor killingHonor killing
An honor killing or honour killing is the homicide of a member of a family or social group by other members, due to the belief of the perpetrators that the victim has brought dishonor upon the family or community...
, since Hatun had received threats and reported them to police before she was killed.
Prosecution
In July, 2005, the Berlin Public Prosecutor's office charged Sürücü's brothers with her murder. On September 14, 2005, Ayhan Sürücü, the youngest brother, confessed to murdering his sister.In April, 2006, Ayhan was sentenced to nine years and three months in prison, and his two older brothers were acquitted of charges of conspiring to murder their sister. The prosecution appealed on a point of law at the Federal Court of Justice, the Bundesgerichtshof, immediately and the 5th criminal division of the Federal Court of Justice overturned the conviction and allowed the revision. A new criminal proceeding was to take place in August 2008.
Public Outrage
Sürücü's murder was the sixth incident of "honor" killing since October, 2004. Public anger was aroused by an incident at a high school near the scene of the crime some days after Hatun Sürücü was killed, when some male students of Kurdish and TurkishTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
origin reportedly applauded the crime. During a class discussion on the murder, one allegedly said that she "only had herself to blame," while another remarked "She deserved what she got – the whore lived like a German." The Director of the school, Volker Steffens, sent a strongly worded letter to students of the school and their parents, warning that the school would not tolerate incitement against freedom.
On February 22, 2005, a vigil called by the Berlin Gay and Lesbian association was held at the scene of the crime, which was attended by about 100 Germans and Turks together. A second vigil, called for by German politicians and artists, was held on the 24th of February.
Sürücü's murder, and several similar cases in Germany and elsewhere in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
have been cited by political opponents of Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's admission to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, as an example of disregard for human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in the Turkish culture. Oddly Hatun Sürücü was of Kurdish descent.
The Sürücü family's behaviour again sparked public outrage when Hatun's sister Arzu applied for custody of Hatun's six-year-old son Can, who has lived with a foster family in Berlin since the murder of his mother. Eight months later the district court of Berlin-Tempelhof rejected the request. Arzu Sürücü appealled this decision but was rejected.
The public continues to demonstrate for Hatun on the anniversary of her death. Activists and citizens lay wreaths in her memory and campaign for help for girls who are faced with forced marriage and honor-related violence.
External links
- „'Honour killing' shocks Germany", BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 14 March, 2005 - www.honorenforced.com - Book about Hatun's Life and Honor Killings