Struggle for İstanbul Convention: Women will be in Taksim on July 1

* Photo: Mezopotamya Agency (MA)

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The Campaign Group of "Implement the İstanbul Convention" met in front of the İstanbul Provincial Directorate of the Ministry of Family and Social Services yesterday (June 9) and protested the Presidential decision withdrawing Turkey from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.

The Campaign Group made a call to the protest demonstration to be held in Taksim/Tünel in İstanbul on July 1, the day as of which the İstanbul Convention will no longer be in force in Turkey, according to the Article 80 of the İstanbul Convention regarding denunciation

Accordingly, opening a banner that read "We are in Taksim Tünel on July 1", women carried placards with "We don't tolerate" written on them, in protest against the remarks of recently appointed Minister of Family and Social Services Derya Yanık, who defined the increase in male violence against women in Turkey in February-March 2020 as "tolerable".

Women also chanted the slogans, "Prevent the murder, not divorce", "Long live women's solidarity", "We don't hush, we don't fear, we don't obey."

'Our life struggle'

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency (MA), the statement of the "Implement the İstanbul Convention" Group was read out by volunteer Çağla Akdere. Noting that there is a desire to unilaterally annul the convention with a Presidential decision, she stressed that a right acquired thanks to a years-long struggle cannot be taken away by the signature of a single man.

She said, "We give up neither the İstanbul Convention, which is the guarantee of our right to an equal life, nor our rights," adding, "Despite everything they have done to prevent women, not the murderers, since March 20, we have been on the streets, we have been everywhere."

She underlined, "Because, to us, it is a struggle for life."

Emphasizing that with the expiry of the three-month period following the notification to the Council of Europe, Turkey will be the first country that has withdrawn from the convention, Akdere noted:

"By doing this, they will plainly declare to the entire world that they do not have an intention to struggle against gender-based violence, to ensure an equal life for women and LGBTI+s or to prevent feminicides.

"On July 1, we will stop that life, of which they do not consider us worthy. We will be on the streets and raise our voices to make them regret this illegitimate decision of withdrawal with our disobedience."

Saying, "Our rights, our lives, our struggle and the İstanbul Convention is ours," Akdere added, "We don't give up our right to an equal and free life. We will talk about the convention everywhere till July 1; we will meet on the street on July 1." The statement ended with women's slogans.

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 protests are still ongoing. (EMK/SD)