Hundreds protest over murder of trans woman in Istanbul,Turkey

Hundreds of people have protested peacefully in Istanbul, calling for justice after the brutal murder of a transgender woman earlier this month.

More than 200 demonstrators carried banners saying "Justice for Hande Kader" and "Let's fight for our survival" under the supervision of anti-riot police close to the famous Istiklal Avenue near Taksim Square on Sunday Aug 21,2016

The body of Hande Kader, an LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, intersex) rights activist and a sex worker, was found in a forest in Istanbul's high-end Zekeriyakoy neighbourhood on August 8.

She was a relentless #LGBT activist,a fighter for equality&dignity. Respect & remember #handekader @lambda_istanbul pic.twitter.com/SXuyF54l2R

— Elif ?afak / Shafak (@Elif_Safak) August 21, 2016

The murdered sex worker became an iconic figure in the LGBTI community after she sat in front of water cannons and anti-riot police officers in June last year as authorities tried to ban a gay pride parade in Istanbul.

Hande Kader was last seen getting into a car with a client in the city's Harbiye district in late July, according to Turkish daily Sabah.

The 22-year-old's body was believed to have been heavily mutilated before her corpse was set on fire, possibly to avoid identification of the perpetrator or perpetrators.

No arrests have yet been made in Hande Kader's case