Erdoğan announces action plan on violence against women as Turkey quits İstanbul Convention

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President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has announced a new action plan for combating violence against women as Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention became final today (July 1).

"We are making the fight (against violence) even stronger with our new action plan," Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the 4th National Action Plan Promotion Meeting on Combating Violence Against Women in the capital city of Ankara.

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On March 20, Erdoğan issued a presidential decision for Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention, a Council of Europe treaty on combating violence against women.

Under the decree, the expiration date of the 2011 Istanbul Convention fell on July 1. After the Council of State rejected the requests for the annulment of the decree, Turkey officially withdrew from the convention.

"Some circles try to portray our withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention today as a stepback in the fight against violence against women.," Erdoğan said. "Our struggle against violence against women did not start with the İstanbul Convention and will not end with it."

The first goal of the new plan is to review Turkey's legislation on combating violence and its effective implementation, he explained.

Turkey withdrew from the convention on March 19, arguing that the pact conflicted with local traditions and that Turkish laws provide ample protection to women already. (AS/VK)