'We will bring back İstanbul Convention': CHP, HDP MPs protest during budget talks

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The 2022 draft budget of the Ministry of Family and Social Services was debated at the Parliamentary Commission on Planning and Budgetary in the capital city of Ankara yesterday (November 10).

The budget talks were marked by the protests of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) and Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP).

The women MPs of the CHP and HDP protested Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention by a Presidential decision.

Turkey has withdrawn from the the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, or the İstanbul Convention, by a Presidential decision which was published in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021.

While several women, women's rights organizations and opposition parties and politicians appealed against this decision of withdrawal by applying to the Council of State, demanding its stay of execution and annulment, the withdrawal has been final since July 1, 2021.

Protesting the withdrawal initiated by President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the CHP and HDP MPs opened banners of "We will bring the İstanbul Convention back and have it enforced", "No to women's poverty", "Justice for women."

During the protest, the HDP's women MPs asked the commission, "What kind of measures are you thinking of taking in the face of women's poverty? Why have you withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention?"

CHP MPs protested Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık for not mentioning the İstanbul Convention, saying, "Ms. Minister did not utter a single word about the İstanbul Convention."

Withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention

Turkey has withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention with a Presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021.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

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. (RT/SD)