‘People now talk about İstanbul Convention more than ever’

* Photo: Dilek Şen

Click to read the article in Turkish

Yesterday marked the 10th anniversary of the İstanbul Convention being opened for signature in İstanbul on May 11, 2011.

On this occasion, Amnesty International released a statement about Turkey's decision of withdrawing from the Convention.

In its written statement titled "Turkey: Women across the world demand reversal of decision to quit gender-based violence treaty", the organization reminded the international community that women around the world would participate in yesterday's Global Day of Action, "protesting President Erdoğan's decision to quit the landmark international treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence."

Amnesty International also expressed its "concerns that Turkey's withdrawal fro the Convention is just the tip of a dangerous populist iceberg," explaining what it meant in the following words: "Using a backward-looking and misrepresented frame of 'family values' several governments are attempting to roll back women's and LGBTI+ rights across Europe."

The voices of women in Turkey and around the world have been supported by strong condemnation of the decision to withdraw from world leaders including Joe Biden and European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, the statement of the organization noted further.

'Women are not cowed or discouraged'

Amnesty International's Secretary General Agnes Callamard also made a statement on this occasion, briefly saying:

"Exactly ten years after it was signed, women are speaking today with one voice to demand that the Turkish authorities reverse a decision that will put the safety and even the lives of millions of women and girls in peril.

"In the weeks since President Erdoğan announced his decision to quit the Istanbul Convention, women in Turkey and around the world are coming together. Rather than being cowed, women have been on the streets. Rather than being discouraged women have been galvanised. More than ever, people are talking about the Convention and understanding its importance.

"In the decade since it was first signed, the Istanbul Convention has been a crucial instrument that has helped protect women from violence. Withdrawal would spell uncertainty, fear and real danger for millions of women and girls in Turkey.

"The threat of violence is something faced by women and girls around the world on a daily basis. This is why the ratification of the Istanbul Convention is so significant and it is why international solidarity to protect it is so vital."

What happened?

The Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence - the İstanbul Convention - was opened for signature in İstanbul on May 11, 2011. Turkey became the first country to ratify the Convention in 2012, followed by 33 other countries from 2013 to 2019. The Convention came into force on August 1, 2014.

Turkey has withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention with a Presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021.

The decision in question said that "the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which was signed by Turkey on May 11, 2011 and approved with the Cabinet Decree no. 2012/2816 on February 10, 2012, shall be terminated on the part of Turkey as per the Article 3 of the Presidential Decree no. 9."

Following this Presidential decision published at midnight, several social media users, women's rights defenders, lawyers and politicians, denounced the decision, recalling that the convention was unanimously approved at the Parliament and stressing that it is not possible for Turkey to withdraw from an international convention with a Presidential decision.

After the Presidential decision pulling Turkey out of the İstanbul Convention was met with criticisms and objections in both Turkey and around the world, the Communications Directorate of the Presidency released a written statement about the issue on March 22.

"As known, Turkey was the first signatory to the Istanbul Convention," the statement noted, arguing that the "İstanbul Convention, originally intended to promote women's rights, was hijacked by a group of people attempting to normalize homosexuality – which is incompatible with Turkey's social and family values. Hence the decision to withdraw."

The protests are still ongoing. (DŞ/SD)