Turkey: Shelters Need Government Support

"We want shelter not graves!" © Private

In 2005, a legal provision came into force in Turkey for municipalities with more than 50,000 inhabitants to open at least one shelter for survivors of domestic violence. According to this law, over 3,000 shelters should be opened around the country. To date, not a single municipality has established a new shelter because of limited budgets and a lack of political will.

Across Turkey, there are currently 16 shelters in total. One of them is Mor Çatý (Purple Roof), a well-known women’s solidarity center in Istanbul. For the last 16 years, the center has helped women fleeing from domestic violence by providing shelter and psychological and legal support.


Most women get in touch with the centre via its confidential telephone helpline, while others are referred to it by the police or social workers. Mor Çatý cooperates with other organizations and authorities to offer women information and advice over the telephone and during face-to-face meetings.

In many cases, women urgently need a safe place to stay. Mor Çatý shelter tries to help wherever possible, but it is in desperate need of more capacity and resources. Many women arrive at the shelter having escaped from their homes with little more than the clothes they are wearing.

Apart from accommodation, the shelter offers women a community and prepares them for living independently. Residents of the shelter, in the best of circumstances, start to work and earn money two months after they arrive. However, for those who cannot work, and for the most traumatized, this process can last for many months, increasing the shelter’s need for space and financial support.

The Turkish government needs to immediately support shelters and urgently open new ones by providing funding and practical support. Municipalities need government support to help women who have escaped from domestic violence live independently.