Protests break out in Turkey over government's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Protests broke out in several Turkish cities on Saturday over the government’s withdrawal from an international treaty on preventing violence against women, according to local media.
Pervin Buldan, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)'s co-chair, also convened the party's Women Council on Saturday and spoke of Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention.
"The Istanbul Convention is a convention that gives the state an obligation to prevent all kinds of violence against women, [...] to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence against women," said Buldan, adding that the convention represents women's right to life.
"The Istanbul Convention is a true Human Rights Action Plan," she added.
The 2011 Istanbul Convention is a binding agreement that requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting violence against women. Ankara announced its withdrawal from the convention with a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Saturday.
According to Ahval News, women gathered in Istanbul's Kadikoy district on Saturday, protesting the government's withdrawal decision from the treaty against domestic and gender-based violence.
Protests broke out in the western city of Izmir too.
Bianet, an independent Turkish media outlet, has documented 33 women murdered across the country in February at the hands of men.
Another 57 women were assaulted, at least one child was murdered, and at least four children were sexually abused in the same timeframe, according to the outlet. While 104 cases of women being forced into prostitution were recorded.
Pervin Buldan, the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP)'s co-chair, also convened the party's Women Council on Saturday and spoke of Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention.
"The Istanbul Convention is a convention that gives the state an obligation to prevent all kinds of violence against women, [...] to prosecute and punish the perpetrators of violence against women," said Buldan, adding that the convention represents women's right to life.
"The Istanbul Convention is a true Human Rights Action Plan," she added.
The 2011 Istanbul Convention is a binding agreement that requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting violence against women. Ankara announced its withdrawal from the convention with a presidential decree published in the Official Gazette on Saturday.
According to Ahval News, women gathered in Istanbul's Kadikoy district on Saturday, protesting the government's withdrawal decision from the treaty against domestic and gender-based violence.
Protests broke out in the western city of Izmir too.
Bianet, an independent Turkish media outlet, has documented 33 women murdered across the country in February at the hands of men.
Another 57 women were assaulted, at least one child was murdered, and at least four children were sexually abused in the same timeframe, according to the outlet. While 104 cases of women being forced into prostitution were recorded.