Istanbul against Erdogan’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention

Istanbul, Turkey March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

Turkish women’s rights groups across the country are staging protests across the country against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention.

To note, Turkey was the first to sign the Convention on the preventing and  combating violence against women and domestic violence in 2011, known as the Istanbul Convention. And 10 years later, on March 20 of this year, Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to formally cancel Turkey’s membership in the Istanbul Convention was published in the official newspaper of the Turkish government.

That decision was a cold shower for the Council of Europe, the United Nations, various structures, officials and experts of those organizations. The statement was followed by criticism, complaints and appeals to Turkey. There were also complaints and protest notes in Turkey.

Opposing Erdogan’s decision, the Istanbul Convention is a necessary tool to combat growing domestic violence.

“Reuters” writes that the CoE agreement is called to prevent, investigate, eliminate domestic violence, promote gender equality. Although Turkey signed it in 2011, femicide has increased in that country in recent years.

No official reason has been given for withdrawing from the convention, with only high-ranking officials from Erdogan’s ruling Justice and Development Party saying domestic legislation could better protect women’s rights than external ones.

According to human rights activists, 440 women are killed annually in Turkey due to domestic violence.

“Ermenihaber” later wrote that the Public Relations Department of the Turkish Presidency issued a statement stating that the reason for withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention was the manipulation of the Convention by some groups to promote homosexuality.

Fatma Kaya, vice-chairwoman of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), said the government planned to adopt the Ankara Convention instead of the Istanbul Convention, later announcing that it was working on Ankara standards.

In response to the Turkish President’s decision, Council of Europe Secretary General Maria Pejcinovic Buric issued a statement.

“The news of the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention is devastating,” said a female CoE official.

The Secretary General stressed that the Istanbul Convention covers 34 European countries and is widely regarded as a gold standard in international efforts to protect women and girls in our societies from daily violence.

“This step is a huge setback for those efforts; it is even more painful because it endangers the protection of women in Turkey, throughout Europe and beyond,” she said.

Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovich called it a reckless decision that violates women’s rights, sends the wrong signal to all women in Turkey and beyond.

“When femicide and other forms of violence against women increase in the country, Turkey should not back down and reduce its tools to fight it,” she said.

At the same time, she expressed her support for Turkish women, noting that they can count on her to protect their rights and advance the Istanbul Convention and implement its provisions.

UN agencies also referred to Turkey’s decision, urging that country not to withdraw from the convention.

Experts note that Turkey, which was the first to ratify the Istanbul Convention, makes such a decision today without parliamentary and public discussions. They call for dialogue with Turkey, as well as for consultations with academia, as well as with civil society, parliament and society.

In addition, they call on Turkey to collect and analyze data on Femicide, which will help prevent the problem.

Full text in Armenian