Extensive protests in Turkey against the country’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention / Article / LSM.lv

Turkey protests against withdrawal from the Istanbul ConventionRihards Plūme00:00 / 03:21

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Turkish conservative politicians have pointed out that the convention, which has never been applied in the country, is detrimental to family unity, encourages divorce, and that the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community used various references in the convention to increase community acceptance. Discussions about Turkey’s possible withdrawal from the convention began after it was initiated last year by an Erdogan party official. Since then, women have repeatedly taken to the streets of cities across the country, urging the government not to abandon the convention.

Activist groups reacted swiftly to the country’s decision to withdraw from the convention, condemning it and calling for protests.

The reaction also followed from the opposition. Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, one of Erdogan’s main competitors, said on Twitter that the decision would disrupt years of women’s struggle. The vice-chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party said that renouncing the treaty would make women second-class citizens and make it possible to kill them.

The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Maria Peichinovich-Buric, also condemned the move as a threat to the protection of women in Turkey, throughout Europe and beyond. The German Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Turkey’s decision was sending a bad signal to Europe and, above all, to Turkish women, while the French Foreign Ministry said that what had happened was worrying.

The significance of the convention was described by lawyer Ipeka Bozkurta. “It is not just a convention, it is a state dedication and a symbol of the state’s commitment to women’s rights,” she said. “The decision will be motivating for those men who are planning violence against women and who have already done so. I also hope to see the efforts of political opposition parties to start discussions and ask questions about the legitimacy of this withdrawal process.”

Violence against women remains a serious problem in Turkey.

Last year, at least 300 women were killed in Turkey, but in 2021 at least 77. At the beginning of the month, the country was rocked by a video posted on social networks, in which a man beats his ex-wife on the street. The man was later arrested and President Erdogan announced that a parliamentary commission would be set up to review legislation to combat violence. According to the World Health Organization, 38% of women in Turkey experience partner violence during their lifetime, compared to 25% in Europe.

The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and the Family was signed in 2011 in Istanbul. On the Turkish side, it was personally signed by Erdogan at the time, when he was still the prime minister. Turkey later ratified the Convention.

The spear of the Istanbul Convention has also been broken in Latvia, which is among the seven countries that have not yet ratified it.

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