Manhood attacks, women defend: A chronology of İstanbul Convention

"İstanbul Convention keeps one alive"

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Opened for signature on May 11, 2011, the İstanbul Convention or the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence entered into force on August 1, 2014.

Since then, the legislation in Turkey has been amended in such a way to adapt them to the İstanbul Convention. Even though not all provisions of the Convention are fully and effectively implemented in Turkey, the Convention in its current form is still one of the most effective instruments to protect women and children from violence in the country.

In effect in Turkey for the last six years, the İstanbul Convention has been targeted by certain groups and circles in the country since summer 2019. We have compiled the attacks targeting the Convention and women's arguments in its defense in a chronological order:

"Women's solidarity keeps one alive"

July 14, 2019 - Felicity Party (SP) Konya MP and SP Youth Organization Chair Abdulkadir Karaduman claimed that the İstanbul Convention and the Law 6284 on the Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women should be abolished.

July 15, 2019 - Regarding these attacks against the İstanbul Convention, journalists Çiğdem Toker, Melis Alphan, Işıl Özgentürk; Prof. Fatmagül Berktay from İstanbul University; actresses Füsun Demirel, Jülide Kural, Melek Baykal, Müjde Ar; KA.DER Association Chair Nuray Karaoğlu; main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) Vice Chair Gökçe Gökçen and lawyer Tuba Torun spoke to bianet.

July 16, 2019 - Actress Deniz Türkali, journalist İrem Afşin, academic Prof. Feride Acar commented on the attacks againt Convention for bianet.

November 12, 2019 - Publications and attacks by certain media outlets claiming that the Convention destroys family systematically continued.

May 6, 2020 - Ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) former MP Mehmet Metiner claimed that it was a mistake for Tureky to pass the İstanbul Convention at the Parliament.

July 2, 2020 - AKP Vice Chair Numan Kurtulmuş said, "Just as [İstanbul Convention] was duly signed, one can duly withdraw from the convention."

July 2, 2020 - Lawyers Feyza Altun, Gökçe Gökçen, Canan Arın and Meriç Eyüboğlu denounced the statements of AKP's Numan Kurtulmuş hinting that the İstanbul Convention could be revised.

July 22, 2020 - Turkish Industry and Business Association (TÜSİAD) stated that the abolition of the İstanbul Convention would encourage perpetrators of violence, calling on all parties to lay claim to the Convention.

July 29, 2020 - Women's Platform for Equality (EŞİK) shared a series of informative cards on social media, explaining the false facts or disinformation about the İstanbul Convention.

"Uprise"

July 29, 2020 -  In a written statement, the Turkish Thoracic Society underlined the importance of the İstanbul Convention and said that the provisions of the Convention should be implemented.

August 1, 2020 - The Journalists' Union of Turkey (TGS) Women's and LGBTI+ Commission stressed the importance of the İstanbul Convention, asking the government, "Why do you demonize the İstanbul Convention, which you signed yourself, with certain campaigns of perception?"

August 1, 2020 - In a written statement released by the The Women and Democracy Association (KADEM), which is close to President Erdoğan's family, it was said, "It seems impossible to understand why a convention developed to prevent murder of women is declared a scapegoat. If murders have indeed increased, what needs to be considered is the multivariate sociological, psychological and social processes."

August 3, 2020 - The Ensar Foundation targeted the İstanbul Convention.

August 4, 2020 - Presenting a report to President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with a request for Turkey's withdrawal from the Convention, the Thought Platform of Turkey announced that it withdrew from the debates, saying, "We have realized that we entered a minefield; we are very tired, we step back."

August 5, 2020 - The Family and Social Research Platform (ASAP), a group consisting of conservative women, released a statement and announced its opinions on the İstanbul Convention. The ASAP made a call for a petition, saying that the Convention "needed to be claimed" by people.

August 11, 2020 - Ahmet Mahmut Ünlü, an imam and Islamist also known as the "Cübbeli Ahmet Hoca" in Turkey, targeted the İstanbul Convention. "The speeches that we have been making for years show that we are against the İstanbul Convention," he said.

"Implement the Law no. 6284 against male violence"

August 13, 2020 - President and ruling AKP Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan spoke at the ceremony held for the 19th Foundation Year of the AKP. Targeting the İstanbul Convention without naming it as such, Erdoğan said, "No legislation, no understanding or no ideology putting a dynamite at the root of the family is humane or legitimate."

He also criticized Abdurrahman Dilipak, an Islamist columnist for the pro-government Yeni Akit, who called the women from the AKP supporting the Convention "the daisies of the AK Party," insulting them as "prostitutes."

August 17, 2020 (Today) - Eight associations from the business world have expressed support for the İstanbul Convention in a joint statement, saying, "The power of our country will depend on how much it has ensured women's contribution to economic and social life."

August 17, 2020 - The EŞİK Platform has made a call and said, "The debates on the İstanbul Convention need to be ended immediately." It has also called on all women "to accompany the platform on its watch for rights."

(EMK/SD)

* Photos: Zeynep Kuray/Eylem Nazlıer/MemendeMori