Husband in Turkey murders wife in front of their children

Amid growing calls to address violence against women in Turkey, a woman was allegedly shot dead early Thursday by her husband, in front of their two young children, in the Mediterranean province of Adana.

Hasan Sağlam, 34, and his wife, 26, had been married for nine years and were said to have argued regularly about their financial struggles. According to reports, they started arguing Thursday morning for the same reason.

During the argument, Sağlam allegedly took a gun he had been carrying illegally, and shot his wife seven times in her back and head, in front of their 8-year-old son, Mümtaz, and their 5-year-old daughter, Dursun.

After allegedly committing the murder, Sağlam put the gun on the dead body of his wife, which he covered with a blanket. He left his home and went to his father’s house to explain the situation. After Sağlam left the house, his son reportedly told neighbors what had happened and police and health personnel were called to the home.

Sağlam’s father turned him in to the police.

The alleged murderer told police that he was unemployed and had been gambling and drinking alcohol for a long time. He also said he had lost ownership of his house due to debts and was forced to rent the house he used to own. Sağlam said his wife used to complain to their neighbors, saying: "I have no place to [escape]. If my financial situation was good, I wouldn’t stay a minute here."


/Hurriyet Daily News/