‘Parliamentary commission legitimizes withdrawal from İstanbul Convention’

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"While this commission was being established, Turkey had not yet withdrawn from the İstanbul Convention. Afterwards, we had the impression that this commission was established to legitimize the withdrawal from the convention. What happened at the commission confirmed this.

"We faced remarks attempting to normalize the crime. After we were deprived of the opportunity to express our opinions with constant attempts to interrupt us, we decided to withdraw from the commission."

It is how Republican People's Party (CHP) MP Gamze Taşçıer has announced her party's decision to withdraw from the Parliamentary Commission for Inquiring the Causes of Violence Against Women.

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'Commission's works not fit for its purpose'

Taşçıer held a press conference about the issue at the Parliament. Addressing the reporters, the  main opposition CHP MP briefly said:

"We hoped that the main purpose of the commission was to reveal the causes leading to the increase in violence against women and to create an environment of reconciliarion and negotiation as to what could be done to eliminate the problems in enforing the existing laws."

Referring to Turkey's withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention by the Presidential decision of ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğa on March 20, Taşçıer stressed:

"However, right after it was decided to establish the Parliamentary commission, the AKP Chair decided to withdraw from the İstanbul Convention with a decision issued in the middle of the night in an unlawful manner and by disregarding the Parliament's will. This has flawed the purpose of the commission's establishment from the very beginning."

According to Taşçıer, "what they have been going through since the first day of the commission" supports this argument.

"At the very first meeting, the Commission Chair acted in a manner of fait accompli in determining the procedure, functioning and schedule of the commission," protested CHP's Taşçıer, further indicating that "their recommendations about the date of the meeting when the guests to be invited to the commission would be set were not taken into consideration and the Commission Chair explicitly showed her indifference to their existence by saying, 'I asked by courtesy anyway'."

According to Taşçıer's statement, the Commission Chair also said, "It doesn't matter; we will have the quorum of decision." "By saying this, she manifested it on the very first day that there was a desire to put on a play of People's Alliance at the commission," said Taşçıer, referring to the AKP's ruling alliance with the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP).

"At every commission meeting so far, the Commission Chair has attempted to prevent an environment of negotiation. The meetings have almost turned into an environment of monologue where the presentations of guests are listened to and only a couple of minutes are allocated for our questions. In a manner contrary to the mentality of the Inquiry Commission, we have been prevented from expressing our opinions about the issue, apart from asking questions at the meetings; we have been constantly interrupted."

Accordingly, main opposition CHP MP Gamze Taşçıer explained what led them to withdraw from the commission in the following words:

"The gravest of all is that the people invited and heard at the commission about Violence Against Women supported polygamy and marriage of children at the age of 15, they went beyond the İstanbul Convention and opened the Lanzarote Convention, which protects children's rights, to debate, they expressed their unease about fundamental universal human rights and made requests for abolishing the Law no. 6284 on Protection of Family and Prevention of Violence Against Women."

Defining these developments as "the final straw," CHP MP Taşçıer said, "It was no longer possible for us to be in such an environment which poses a threat to all women and children living in Turkey."

İstanbul Convention

Within this context, Gamze Taşçıer also talked about the withdrawal from the İstanbul Convention, which will officially enter into force on July 1.

Taşçıer protested that while the Council of State knows the 3-month period following the decision of withdrawal stemming from the Convention, it has not yet concluded the applications for the stay of execution of the decision of withdrawal though less than 7 days are left until July 1.

She stressed that the decision of stay of execution should be primarily and swiftly taken to prevent any irreparable consequences. "We hope that a ruling will be handed in the annulment case before July 1, at least our requests for a stay of execution will hopefully be examined," she said.

"We would like to recall that justice delayed is justice denied and would like to ask the Council of State what it is waiting for to establish the law.

"Unfortunately, the People's Alliance's recitation of 'zero tolerance to violence against women' is now plainly groundless."

'We will not lose one more woman'

Referring to the women's struggle for years, Gamze Taşçıer reiterated that in the face of the decision to withdraw from the İstanbul Convention with "the decision of the one man", women give the following answer: "We don't fear, we don't hush, we don't obey."

"İstanbul Convention is ours, İstanbul Convention belongs to the women who want to live and we will continue struggling until it is enforced without any but's," said Taşçıer further, underlining that "they will not lose one more woman." (EMK/SD)