Police block women's march for İstanbul Convention, use tear gas, rubber bullets

Women took to the streets as Turkey officially quit the İstanbul Convention on combating violence against women.

Evrim Kepenek

Melisa Elçin Özçelikel

Evrim Kepenek

Melisa Elçin Özçelikel

Police block women's march for İstanbul Convention, use tear gas, rubber bullets

Photos: Evrim Kepenek/bianet

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

Turkey formally withdrew İstanbul Convention today (July) in accordance with a decree issued in late March by President and Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Women took to the streets in İstanbul and other cities in protest of the withdrawal.

Protesters in İstanbul gathered on the Tunnel Square in Beyoğlu amid heavy police presence, chanting slogans, "We don't give up the İstanbul Convention," "It's not over for us," "Withdrawal from İstanbul Convention is void," "homophobic state" and "Deniz Poyraz is immortal."

Setting up barricades on İstiklal Avenue, police blocked women from marching towards Galatasaray Square and used rubber bullets and tear gas against them. Some women fainted during the violent police response.

Later, women made a statement for the press while they were surrounded by police.

"We once again declare: It's not over for us. We start again every day. We are in a struggle in every field of life, everywhere, every moment," says the statement. "We know very well that we'll make the İstanbul Convention enforced."

What happened?

Turkey has withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention with a Presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021.

The decision in question said that "the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which was signed by Turkey on May 11, 2011 and approved with the Cabinet Decree no. 2012/2816 on February 10, 2012, shall be terminated on the part of Turkey as per the Article 3 of the Presidential Decree no. 9."

Following this Presidential decision published at midnight, several social media users, women's rights defenders, lawyers and politicians, denounced the decision, recalling that the convention was unanimously approved at the Parliament and stressing that it is not possible for Turkey to withdraw from an international convention with a Presidential decision.

After the Presidential decision pulling Turkey out of the İstanbul Convention was met with criticisms and objections in both Turkey and around the world, the Communications Directorate of the Presidency released a written statement about the issue on March 22.

"As known, Turkey was the first signatory to the Istanbul Convention," the statement noted, arguing that the "İstanbul Convention, originally intended to promote women's rights, was hijacked by a group of people attempting to normalize homosexuality – which is incompatible with Turkey's social and family values. Hence the decision to withdraw."

The 10th Chamber of the Council of State finalized the court cases demanding the stay of execution and annulment of the Presidential decision withdrawing Turkey from the İstanbul Convention ahead of July 1, when the İstanbul Convention will no longer be in force in Turkey, according to the Article 80 of the Convention regarding denunciation.

By a vote of three to two, the 10th Chamber of the Council of State has rejected the requests for the stay of execution and annulment of the Presidential decision, which has pulled Turkey out of the İstanbul Convention, or the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

(EMK/MEÖ/VK)

istanbul convention vk Women's rights women violence against women male violence

Evrim Kepenek

@kepenekevrimm

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bianet kadın ve LGBTİ+ haberleri editörü (Ekim 2018). bianet stajyerlerinden (2000-2001). Cumhuriyet, BirGün, DİHA, Jinha, Jin News için çalıştı. İMC TV’de muhabirlik yaptı. Sivil Sayfalar, Yeşil Gazete, Journo ve sektör dergileri için yazılar yazdı, haberleri yayınlandı. Hemşin kültür dergisi GOR’un kurucu yazarlarından. Yeşilden Maviye Karadenizden Kadın Portreleri, Sırtında Sepeti, Medya ve Yalanlar isimli kitaplara katkı sundu. 2011 Musa Anter Gazetecilik ödülü sahibi. Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası Kadın ve LGBTİ+ Komisyonu kurucu üyelerinden. İstanbul Üniversitesi Avrupa Birliği ve Bilgi Üniversitesi Uluslararası İlişkiler bölümlerinden mezun. Ekim 2018’den bu yana bianet’te çalışıyor.

Melisa Elçin Özçelikel

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Boğaziçi Üniversitesi Sosyoloji Bölümü öğrencisi. Atölye BİA 14-28 Aralık 2020 "Temel Gazetecilik Atölyesi" katılımcısı. Ayrıca MLSA'nın düzenlediği "Haber Atölyesi" programının da katılımcılarından biri. bianet'in 2021...