Turkey has dropped an international agreement to protect women from violence, according to several reports.
Turkey has left the Istanbul Convention, Bloomberg news reported, citing a decree published in the Official Gazette of the nation. The Convention is a Council of Europe treaty designed to prevent violence and domestic abuse against women.
The convention has a total of 46 signatories, according to him website, including 45 countries and the European Union. Turkey signed the convention in 2011 and ratified it in 2012.
Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić he said in a statement that “the 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 they face every day in our societies. ”
“This move is a great step backwards from these efforts and even more deplorable because it compromises the protection of women in Turkey, throughout Europe and beyond,” Burić said.
The notification in the Official Gazette did not provide a reason why Turkey had left the convention. In any case, Reuters reported that he divided President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling party and his family.
Conservatives in Turkey also felt that the agreement undermines family structures and that non-discrimination based on sexual orientation promotes homosexuality, Reuters reported.
United Nations Office at Turkey he said in a statement that it was “deeply concerned” by Turkey’s decision, adding that it urged Turkey to “continue to protect and promote the safety and rights of all women and girls, including by maintaining its commitment to the full implementation of the Istanbul Convention”.