In Istanbul, thousands of people have demonstrated against the cancellation of the Istanbul Convention, which obliges countries to combat violence against women. Women also gathered in Izmir.
President Erdogan announced a week ago that Turkey is withdrawing the European treaty that was concluded in Istanbul in 2011. Women say their safety is endangered.
The protesters shouted slogans like “femicide is political” and carried signs saying “protect women, not perpetrators of violence”.
As always, the police were massively present at anti-government protests.
According to the World Health Organization, 38 percent of women in Turkey experience violence from their partners during their lifetime, compared to the 25 percent on average in Europe. According to a human rights group, 87 women have already been murdered in Turkey this year. The number of murders of women is said to have tripled in the last ten years.
The Turkish government says the Istanbul Convention is undermining traditional family values and separating families. Previously, it was said in conservative circles that the treaty would open the door to free interpretations of sex and that it would “propagate” homosexuality. The European treaty emphasizes that violence due to sexual orientation must also be tackled.
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