Turkey withdrew from a historic European treaty protecting women from violence, though it was the first country to sign it 10 years ago, provoking a wave of anger.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree early Saturday canceling Turkey's ratification of the Istanbul Convention, named after the country's largest city. His decision follows months of pressure from conservative and Islamist groups, who demanded that Turkey withdraw from the treaty. It is, however, a blow to women's rights advocates, who say the agreement is essential to combating domestic violence.
Several thousand people demonstrated in Turkey on Saturday to call on President Erdogan to reverse his decision to abandon a treaty to combat violence against women, which has sparked outrage across Europe. "I'm tired of this patriarchal state. I'm tired of not feeling safe. Enough!" Banu, one of the demonstrators, told AFP. Other, smaller protests were also held in Ankara and Izmir.
In the decree, Erdogan announced the country's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, the first international treaty to set legally binding standards in about 30 countries to prevent gender-based violence. The decision, taken despite the fact that the number of women killed in Turkey has been rising over the decade, has sparked outrage from women's rights organizations and criticism from the European Union.
Erdogan së pari foli për braktisjen e Konventës së Stambollit vitin e kaluar, në një përpjekje për të mbledhur elektoratin e tij konservator përballë vështirësive ekonomike në rritje. Grupet konservatore dhe islamike kërkuan që Turqia të linte traktatin i cili, siç thonë ata, dëmton vlerat "tradicionale" të familjes duke mbrojtur barazinë gjinore, inkurajon divorcin dhe po përdoret nga komuniteti LGBT për të fituar një pranim më të gjerë në shoqëri.
Tërheqja e Turqisë nga Konventa e Stambollit është "një lajm shkatërrues" dhe "komprometon mbrojtjen e grave" në vend, tha Këshilli i Europës. Kjo "dërgon një sinjal të keq për Europën, por veçanërisht për gratë në Turqi", tha Ministria e Jashtme gjermane. "Kjo rënie e të drejtave është shqetësuese," shtoi ministri francez i Europës, Clément Beaune.
Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, one of Erdogan's main rivals, accused the president of "violating the war that women have been waging for years". In the face of criticism, the government responded by saying, "Our institutions and our security forces will continue to fight domestic violence and violence against women."
In early March, the country was shaken by the release of a video showing a man hitting his ex-wife on the ground in the middle of the street, in front of their daughter. The attacker was arrested and President Erdogan announced the establishment of a parliamentary commission to make an assessment of legislation to better combat violence.
Women's rights groups accuse the government of not enforcing existing laws with sufficient force.
Burimet: Euronews, Deutsche Welle, CNN
