Thousands of people protested against Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on Thursday. In several places, protesters supported the police. Photo: Umit Bektas, Reuters/NTB
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Last year, at least 300 women were killed. Turkey is now abandoning the agreement to protect them.
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May 11, 2011: European leaders gathered in Turkey’s capital to sign a historic agreement. The so-called Istanbul Convention was intended to combat violence against women and violence in close relationships.
Turkey became the first country to ratify the agreement. Ten years later, they are the first to leave it.
The decision has aroused enormous anger in a country where violence against women is on the rise. Last year, at least 300 women were killed in Turkey, according to the organization We Will Stop Femicide. In most cases, the perpetrator was a partner.
The frustration became visible on Thursday, the day when the withdrawal took effect. In Istanbul, several thousand had turned up to show their opposition:
Fears of “normalization of homosexuality”
The Istanbul Convention had clear goals: It was to prevent violence and protect victims. In addition, it was to ensure that the perpetrators were punished.
45 countries, in addition to the EU, have signed the convention. They are committed to investing in education, collecting data on crime and providing support services to victims.
According to Amnesty International the agreement has given good results. This applies first and foremost to how victims of violence are treated.
But Turkey will no longer be part of the work. The reason? According to the country’s communications directorate, the convention is being abused to «Normalize homosexuality». It threatens Turkey’s traditional values and undermines the family, they claim.
The country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has repeatedly attacked women’s rights. Among other things, he has said that feminist «rejects the concept of motherhood» and went hard against abortion. In addition, he has claimed that gender equality is unnatural.
On March 20, the president announced that Turkey would leave the deal. On Thursday, the country was officially out.
—-In 2011, European leaders met to sign the Istanbul Convention, which aims to combat violence against women. Here are Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kosyanttyn Gryshchenko (left), Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland, and Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Photo: Burhan Ozbilici, AP/NTB
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“Turns the clock back ten years”
The withdrawal has been met with strong reactions. Amnesty International says Turkey has now “turned the clock back ten years” when it comes to women’s rights.
US President Joe Biden has described the decision as “Deeply disappointing”.
– Around the world, we see an increase in violence in close relationships, including an increase in homicide in Turkey, the country that was the first to sign the convention.
Demonstrations are planned for several days in Turkey. Among those who have been active during the demonstrations are Happy Rock. In 2015, when she was 19, she was shot by her boyfriend and ended up in a wheelchair.
Five years later, the sister was killed. The killer claimed to be her boyfriend. Kaya’s lawyer was also killed by her husband in 2019. It happened in front of the children.
—-Women take part in a demonstration against the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on Thursday. The decision has been met with strong criticism in a country where violence against women is widespread. Photo: Umit Bektas, Reuters/NTB
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Covered up as suicide
These women are part of a dark statistic. The number of murders of women is probably higher than what the women’s organizations themselves register.
The German newspaper German wave describes how the killings are often covered up as suicide:
In 2018, 23-year-old Sule Cet was raped in her office by two men. One of them was her boss. Afterwards, the men threw her out the window. They told the police that the woman had taken her own life. However, several pieces of evidence on the woman’s body made the story less credible.
In retrospect, several similar stories have emerged. Women’s organizations say prosecutors often refuse to investigate them.
“In a legal system dominated by men, crimes against women often go unpunished,” activist Leyla Soydinic told the newspaper.
– The story is on our side
The hope of reversing the trend is still not buried. More women than ever are now united in the fight to preserve their rights.
The organization We Will Stop Femicides says support has exploded in recent years. Gülsüm Kav, head of the organization, is optimistic. She points out that even women who vote for the ruling AKP party are on their side.
– We also have many conservative women on our platform, who fight with us, she says The Guardian.
– The story is on our side, she concludes.
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