A trans woman attacked four days ago in Turkey has died.

The victim was reportedly a resident of the Meis district, where complaints of police violence and pressure from local residents have been reported since October 2012.

According to Rozerin Seap Kip, lawyer for Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association in Turkey (SPoD), the victim was heavily beaten up four days ago. She died yesterday at a hospital in Bakirköy, Istanbul.

Onur FidangÃ¼l, a LGBT activist in Turkey, told Gay Star News: ‘We are very shocked and sad’ over the victim’s death.

FidangÃ¼l told GSN that the SPoD has organized visits and meetings with the police department in the Meis district, which resulted in the police returning and forcing some people from their homes.

FidangÃ¼l added that for the past three weeks, additional reports of trans women being attacked and receiving death threats have been coming in.

Police activity in the area has escalated in recent days. On 8 March, police broke into the homes of 20 trans women and arrested them on the basis of ‘providing space’ for sex work.

While sex work is not illegal in Turkey, transgendered women are not allowed to work in regulated brothels, and Turkey has the second highest level of hate crime against trans people in the world.