Turkey celebrates December 5 to commemorate the day when Turkish women won the right to vote and stand for electoral office. Women's suffrage was achieved for parliamentary elections in Turkey on December 5, 1934, through a constitutional amendment.Turkey is among the first countries to extend this right to women. Many European countries did not grant this right until decades later. France did not pass women's suffrage until 1944, Italy 1946, Greece 1952, and Switzerland in 1971.Turkey, however, celebrates women's suffrage amid calls for actions violence targeting women. A case that infuriated the public for its brutality came to a close on Thursday after a court handed down aggravated life sentences for three men for the rape, mutilation and murder of 20-year-old Özgecan Aslan. Aslan was only one of the victims of violence targeting innocent women in Turkey, but the dramatic story instilled hope for many that the heaviest sentences will be given to convicts in such cases who often got their sentences reduced due to controversial laws.Women's rights activists believe the landmark ruling by a court in Aslan's hometown of Mersin will set the precedent for similar rulings in cases of infamous women's murders, mostly committed in espousal violence. They hope it will act as a major deterrent for would-be perpetrators.The prevalence of domestic violence, physical and sexual violence targeting women despite measures raises concerns in Turkey. Authorities seek to curb the disturbing trends. The government is looking into ways to implement more effective judicial measures and ways to raise awareness to the issue among the public.Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, speaking on Saturday at the Justice and Development (AK) Party's Ankara Women's Branch convention, once again condemned Aslan's brutal murder, adding, "As a father of three daughters and godfather of all other girls in Turkey, [Özgecan Aslan's] murder still tears my heart out."Noting that more precautions will be taken to stop violence against women, Davutoğlu said, "The court's decision [of handing down aggravated life sentences for three men in Aslan's case] have put our minds at ease."