Withdrawal from İstanbul Convention ‘full backsliding in human rights’

* Photo: Twitter

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As per a Presidential decree issued by ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today (March 20), Turkey has withdrawn from the Council of Europe (CoE) Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which is widely known as the İstanbul Convention.

This move has been met with harsh criticisms and objections not only in Turkey but also in the world, including by the the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN). The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland has shared a message about the issue on social media.

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) Deputy Secretary General Esther Lynch has also denounced the move, defining it as a "huge blow to the hopes and the rights of women in Turkey."

UN: We are concerned

In its "Joint Statement in response to Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention," the UN has said:

"The UN in Turkey is deeply concerned about the decree No.3718 announced in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021 with which Turkey terminates being a party to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence."

The statement has briefly read:

"Turkey was the first country to ratify the Convention, and it has taken important steps to align its national legislation with it, including by adoption of Law No. 6284 on Protection of the Family and Prevention of Violence against Women.

"We are concerned that Turkey's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention would undermine the significant efforts invested so far to prevent and combat violence against women and may hinder progress towards further strengthening of national legislative, policy and institutional frameworks.

"We urge the Government of the Republic of Turkey to continue protecting and promoting the safety and rights of all women and girls, including by remaining committed to the full implementation of the Istanbul Convention."

Finland: It is deeply regrettable

Finland's Minister of Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto has shared a brief message on Twitter and said the following about the issue:

"Turkey's decision to withdraw from Istanbul Convention is deeply regrettable.The convention is meant to prevent violence against women and ensure legal protection for victims of domestic violence. We need more international cooperation against these crimes, not less."

FM @Haavisto: Turkey’s decision to withdraw from #Istanbulconvention is deeply regrettable.The convention is meant to prevent violence against women and ensure legal protection for victims of domestic violence. We need more international cooperation against these crimes, not less

— MFA Finland ???????? (@Ulkoministerio) March 20, 2021

'It is devastating news'

Releasing a statement about the issue, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić has said:

"Turkey's announced withdrawal from the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention on violence against women is devastating news.

"The Istanbul Convention covers 34 European countries and is widely regarded as the gold standard in international efforts to protect women and girls from the violence that they face every day in our societies.

"This move is a huge setback to these efforts and all the more deplorable because it compromises the protection of women in Turkey, across Europe and beyond."

'Complete disregard to rule of law'

Nacho Sánchez Amor, the European Parliament's Rapporteur on Turkey, has also tweeted the following message: 

"Dismayed to wake up to news of Turkey's withdrawal from İstanbul Convention (by a presidential decree!!)

"This is the current Turkish government's real face: Complete disregard to rule of law, full backsliding in human rights. Hope that Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel can see it before another ridicule."

Dismayed to wake up to news of #Turkey's withdrawal from #IstanbulConvention (by presidential decree!!) This is current ???????? Gov's real face: complete disregard to #Ruleoflaw, full #backsliding in #HumanRights. Hope @vonderleyen, @eucopresident can see it before another ridicule

— Nacho Sánchez Amor (@NachoSAmor) March 20, 2021

'No good before the summit'

Sergey Lagodinsky from the Greens at the European Parliament has also said the following about the last 24 hours in Turkey: 

"Within the last 24 hours, the government of Turkey ran a marathon away from the remaining common positions with the European Union. Leaving the İstanbul Convention is the culmination and a provocation before the EU Council next week. No good."

Within last 24 hours the government of Turkey ???????? ran a marathon away from the remaining common positions with the EU. Leaving the #IstanbulConvention is the culmination and a provocation before @EUCouncil next week. No good.

— Sergey Lagodinsky (@SLagodinsky) March 20, 2021

'A very retrograde step'

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has also released a written statement about Turkey's withdrawal and said:

"The ETUC is seriously concerned that the decision of the President of Turkey to pull his Government country out of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence is a very retrograde step and urges the Government to reconsider this action and reaffirm its international commitment to protect the human rights of women and girls and all their citizens."

ETUC Deputy General Secretary Esther Lynch has said:

"It is a huge blow to the hopes and the rights of women in Turkey, and reduces the supervision of the Turkish authorities who should be putting in place policies and services to protect women from violence and to prevent violence against women."

"In 2019, there were at least 430 femicides in Turkey alone. The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an undeniable spike in domestic violence all around the world. It's a devasting signal to Turkish women and girls."

"The timing of the announcement, in the middle of a meeting of the UN Commission on the Status of Women, is a deliberate provocation and represents yet another conservative attack on international cooperation." (PT/SD)