Teenage Girl Pregnant from Rape Killed by Fiancé in Alleged Honor Killing in Turkey

A pregnant 18-year-old, Oya Budak. was killed by her ex-fiance, who had broken off their engagement after learning she was raped, local media reported Thursday

An 18-year-old girl in Turkey was brutally murdered in what authorities are calling an apparent honor killing after her fiancé discovered she was pregnant following a sexual assault.

Oya Budak, five-and-a-half months pregnant, was shot in the chest in Istanbul and later died at a hospital along with her unborn child, according to local reports. The young woman was reportedly raped several weeks prior to her engagement and became pregnant as a result of the attack.

The man, 19, was arrested in Istanbul and confessed, according to Turkish media

Turkish media reports that Budak's fiancé, aged 19, ended the engagement after learning of the pregnancy. He was later arrested in Istanbul and reportedly confessed to the killing during police interrogation.

The victim's grandfather, Orhan Budak, told reporters: “When she said she was in pain, her fiancé took her to the hospital and learned she was pregnant.”

Ms Budak, who was five-and-a-half months pregnant, was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest, but died along with her baby, Turkish news agencies said

It has been revealed that Oya’s family was unaware of the rape and the resulting pregnancy. Once the fiancé’s family discovered the situation, they allegedly pressured him not to marry her.

The murder marks the 209th femicide reported in Turkey this year, according to women’s rights organizations. Advocacy groups continue to raise alarm over the country’s ongoing femicide crisis, accusing authorities of negligence and lack of protection for women and girls.

Turkey has faced growing international scrutiny over rising gender-based violence, including femicide and attacks against transgender individuals. In 2022, thousands of women protested in Istanbul against the country’s failure to address these crimes, despite government-imposed bans on marches commemorating International Women’s Day.

During one such protest, dubbed the Feminist Night March, women clashed with riot police who blocked access to Taksim Square and used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. At least 38 protesters were arrested. Activists defiantly marched, chanting: “If you feel helpless, remember this crowd.”

The annual march, organized for nearly two decades, has become a powerful platform for women demanding justice and equal rights in a nation where gender violence remains a growing concern.

The protests intensified after Turkey’s controversial 2021 withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention — a Council of Europe treaty designed to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence. The convention provided a legal framework to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

Women’s rights groups in Turkey argue that the government’s retreat from international commitments and lack of enforcement of protective measures has created an environment of impunity for gender-based violence.