Turkey Urged to Return to Convention Against Domestic Violence

Women hold placards and shot slogans during a protest against Turkey's announced withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, in Istanbul in March 2021. Photo: EPA-EFE/ERDEM SAHIN

"The recent decision of the Turkish government of 19 March 2021 to withdraw from the Convention, has shown us that those threats of revocation are indeed very real. The decision of Turkey comes ten years after it was the first country to sign the Convention in Istanbul," said a joint declaration by European politicians.

They added that they are deeply alarmed by the consequences for women's rights and safety.

"We stand together in solidarity with women and girls in Turkey and beyond. We call on Turkey to reverse its decision," the declaration said.

The call was echoed by Turkish and international rights groups and by some Turkish politicians.

"Ironically, Turkey, the first country to sign the Convention on 11 May 2011, has now decided to leave it, with disastrous consequences for millions of women and girls and for organisations providing vital support to survivors of sexual and domestic violence," Amnesty International said in a statement.

Turkey's Women's Platform for Equality, ESIK issued a report documenting incidents of violence since the presidential decision pulling Turkey out of the Istanbul Convention.

The Peoples' Democratic Party, HDP said on Tuesday that the Convention was "one of the greatest achievements that Turkish women struggled for".

Koray Dogan Urbarli, the co-spokesperson of the Turkish Green Party, told BIRN that Turkish women, politicians and rights groups will not give up on the Convention.

"The Turkish government controversially withdrew from the treaty, which it had the honour of being named after its largest...