Turkey: Leaving the Istanbul Convention on the Protection of Women from Violence

The decision to withdraw from that international agreement was made in March 2019 by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who explained that Istanbul Convention (Council of Europe Convention on the Protection of Women from Violence) contradicts the traditional foundations of the country and promotes homosexuality, reports Tass.

Turkey's accession to this Convention at one time caused fierce criticism in Turkish conservative circles, represented by the ruling Justice and Development Party.

The Istanbul Convention, an international agreement of the Council of Europe against violence against women and domestic violence, was adopted in May 2011. On March 12, 2012, Turkey was the first country to ratify the Convention, which entered into force in 2014.

The Istanbul Convention was signed by 46 countries and the European Union.

Applying the Istanbul Convention in the first place means a much greater involvement of the state not only in the legislative framework but also in the practical one. Not only will criminal offenses have to be more clearly defined and some new ones introduced, but it will also be necessary to clearly define the competences of state bodies that work on cases of domestic violence against women, as well as children who witness violence, Vreme once wrote in the text Long way to Istanbul.

JH/FoNet

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