Man murder 18-year-old pregnant girlfriend in Turkey

An 18-year-old woman was shot dead by her ex-fiancé in Istanbul after falling pregnant as a result of sexual assault, in a case that has once again reignited public outrage over femicide and gender-based violence in Türkiye.

Oya Budak, who was five-and-a-half months pregnant, was attacked late June 25 by her former fiancé, identified as 19-year-old Samet T.

According to reports, Budak’s former fiancé had broken off their engagement after learning that she had been sexually assaulted by another man and was pregnant as a result.

On the night of the killing, the ex-fiancé convinced Budak to meet under the pretense of wanting to talk. 

During the confrontation, the former fiancé reportedly pulled out a gun and shot the woman, who was hit in the chest and ear.

Emergency services rushed her to a nearby hospital, but she and her unborn child could not be saved.

The man was apprehended hours later and remains in police custody.

Authorities also confirmed that the man who had raped the woman six months earlier had been arrested and imprisoned.

The killing marked one of the latest in a string of gender-based murders in Türkiye, with several women’s rights organizations condemning the attack.

It was the 209th femicide this year in the country, according to a women's rights group.

Femicides remain a deeply rooted and urgent problem in Türkiye.

At least 420 women were murdered in 2024, the majority by partners, ex-partners or other men from within their immediate circle.

Women's groups have also highlighted the growing violence against young girls, a disturbing trend that became one of the most publicly debated issues in the country last year.