The move has come as a shock to a country plagued by high cases of domestic violence and gynecological cases.
It is not clear why Erdogan decided to walk out of the convention. Turkish women’s rights activists have protested the move, with some activists arguing that it undermines traditional family values.
The public debate surrounding the convention in August began when religious and conservative groups launched intense lobbying efforts against the convention, accusing it of undermining family values and advocating for the LGBTQ community.
Erdogan’s cabinet came out to reassure the public that withdrawing from the convention does not mean pursuing laws on domestic violence and women’s rights. Family and Social Policy Minister Zehra Zumrat Selkuk said on Twitter, “The guarantee of women’s rights is present in our current laws and especially in our constitution. Our judicial system is dynamic and strong enough to implement the new rules as needed.”
Turkey’s main opposition called the move an attempt to “liberate women for second-class citizens” and vowed to bring the country back to the convention, saying the current government had failed to protect the rights of women and children. “You have failed to protect the right to life,” Opposition MP Goksen Goksen said on Twitter.
The coalition of women’s groups said the president’s order to withdraw from the convention sounded like a “nightmare” and by walking out of the convention, the government announced that it would no longer protect women from violence.
“It is clear that this withdrawal will empower murderers, abusers and rapists,” the coalition said in a statement.
Femicide numbers are not given separately in Turkey, but a non-governmental women’s rights group puts the number of women killed in 2021 at 77.
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