Istanbul Convention: women’s protests continue in Turkey



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The president, who announced the decision in a decree Saturday night, has apparently taken the step very reluctantly. As is customary in recent years, he has acted under pressure from Devlet Bahceli, his most important political partner.

Bahceli, leader of the far-right MHP, has repeatedly portrayed the convention as a sabotage of Turkish family life and as a spur for divorce and homosexuality. One sign that Erdogan has acted against his will is the Sabah newspaper report on the issue.

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the right-wing MHP party.

Devlet Bahceli, leader of the right-wing MHP party.

Photo: Adem Altan / AFP

Sabah, a faithful megaphone In the opinion of the president, he dedicates a lot of space on Sunday to the demonstrations against the decision and the criticisms against it.

Two opposition parties, Iyi and CHP, have stated that they will appeal the decision to the Supreme Court, as it was made without consulting Parliament. The constitution, says a spokesman for Iyi a DN, states that Turkey can leave international commitments only with the good memory of Parliament.

– This is horrible. You should be ashamed to do this in a country where women are killed every day, said novelist Elif Shafak.

Another world famous Turkish author, who prefers to remain anonymous, tells DN:

– This is another step in Erdogan and Bahceli’s project to strengthen the ultra-nationalist, sexist and anti-Kurdish camp.

Women in Istanbul protested this weekend against Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe Convention against Violence against Women.

Women in Istanbul protested this weekend against Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe Convention against Violence against Women.

Photo: Erhan Demirtas / NurPhoto

In February he was assassinated 33 Turkish women for men. The AKP’s special spokesperson in power on gender issues, Fatma Kaya, said on Sunday that the Istanbul Treaty was not necessary and that Turkey’s laws offer sufficient tools to safeguard the safety of women.

Marija Pejcinovic Buric, Secretary General of the Council of Europe, regretted the decision:

– This is a terrible setback for us and our aspirations.

Turkey was the first country to ratify the Convention, and its leading role in drafting the content was then seen as an important step towards Turkey’s accession to the EU.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Photo: AP

At the time, Erdogan and his AKP had significant support from both the Kurds and the liberal middle class in the cities. Today, the AKP has lost much of this support and relies on right-wing extremist and anti-Kurdish MHPs for its parliamentary majority.

Turkey’s membership of the EU It has long been completely ruled out, making the consequences less painful for the regimen. Protests inside and outside the country are numerous and fierce, but Turkey is a deeply polarized society, where many celebrate gender equality, but where millions of people view the principles of the Convention as a threat to traditions and family life.

The decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe Convention against Violence against Women, sparked mass demonstrations in eight Turkish cities, this one in Ankara.

The decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe Convention against Violence against Women, sparked mass demonstrations in eight Turkish cities, this one in Ankara.

Photo: Adem Altan / AFP

On Saturday night, massive demonstrations against the decision were held in eight Turkish cities, with even more planned for Sunday. The largest demonstration took place in Kadiköy, on the Asian side of Istanbul, where protesters carried placards with photographs of honor killing victims.

The politician most feared by the ruling establishment, the popular mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoglu, regretted the decision:

– In Turkey, we have new attacks against women every day. It is sad to see how we are now, through a decree in the middle of the night, withdrawing from the convention that was created right here to combat this.

“Kvinnokoalitionen”, an organization With branches throughout Turkey coordinating the ongoing protests, the Presidential Decree condemned:

“This is a direct encouragement for murderers, rapists and stalkers.”

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