‘İstanbul Convention’ banners now all around İstanbul

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The Campaign Group of Enforce the İstanbul Convention have hung banners of İstanbul Convention all around İstanbul, the city which the convention took its name from as it was opened to signature in the city in May 2011 and as Turkey was the first country to ratify it.

Amid ongoing protests against Turkey's withdrawal from the convention by the decision of President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the banners are now hung on the Galata tower and on overpasses in Beşiktaş, Okmeydanı, Altunizade and Bağcılar. The banners read: "We don't give up the İstanbul Convention."

Some of these banners can be seen here:

Galata Tower

Golden Horn Subway Bridge

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Turkey has withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention with a Presidential decision published in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021.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