July 3, 2021
2 mins read

Protest flares up as Turkey quits treaty protecting women

Thousands of women protesters gathered on the Istiklal Avenue, chanting slogans against country’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention…reports Asian Lite News

Thousands of people took to the street on Thursday to denounce Turkey’s withdrawal from an international treaty designated to combat violence against women.

Large scale demonstration was witnessed after Turkey formally pulled out from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, also known as Istanbul Convention, Al Jazeera reported.

Demonstrators clashed with police who fired tear gas in the country’s biggest city Istanbul. Women protesters gathered on the Istiklal Avenue, carrying banners and chanting slogans against the government. The police fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, preventing them from proceeding toward the iconic Taksim square.

In March, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had a decree annulling the country’s ratification of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, which states that men and women have equal rights and obliges state authorities to take steps to prevent gender-based violence against women, protect victims and prosecute perpetrators.

ALSO READ: ‘Turkey not sending troops to secure Kabul airport’

The convention seeks to prevent violence against women, including domestic violence, and bring an end to legal impunity for perpetrators.”The Istanbul Convention withdrawal will empower the perpetrators of violence while making the victims more powerless. So we have to take on the protection work that the authorities should do,” Gulsum Kav, Turkish feminist activist, told Al Jazeera.

Turkey’s shameful withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention will put millions of women and girls at greater risk of violence, Amnesty International said.

“President Erdogan’s announcement of the decision to quit the landmark treaty on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence will go down in history as the first time a Council of Europe member has withdrawn from an international human rights convention,” it added.

Erdogan said his country’s domestic regulations are sufficient to combat violence against women, Xinhua reported. Turkish President Erdogan on Thursday announced a new action plan for combating violence against women. “Just like our fight against violence toward women did not start with the Istanbul Convention, it will not end by withdrawing from this convention,” he said. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Pakistan and Turkey’s selective support to Muslim causes

ALSO READ: Libya, Turkey bolster security ties

Previous Story

China Targets Uyghurs Living Abroad To Suppress Protest

Next Story

Merkel hints at quarantine relaxations for Britons

Latest from -Top News

Hamas Reiterates Peace Effort After U.S. Jab

Hamas Reaffirms Commitment to Ceasefire Talks After U.S. Criticism…reports Asian Lite News Hamas on Friday reiterated its commitment to the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, responding to remarks by U.S. Special Envoy to the

No smoking gun in Epstein files: Trump briefed

Attorney General Pam Bondi briefed Trump and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche at the White House in May….reports Asian Lite News US President Donald Trump was informed earlier this year that his

Israel, US recall teams from Gaza truce talks

Steve Witkoff said mediators had made a great effort but “Hamas does not appear to be coordinated or acting in good faith”…reports Asian Lite News Israel and the United States recalled their

Trump presses Fed chief to cut rates

Fed chair pushes back on Trump criticism of renovation costs as president presses central bank to cut interest rates…reports Asian Lite News Donald Trump sparred with the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell,

Dubai turns malls Into fitness zones

Dubai’s Mallathon reimagines shopping centres as fitness zones, encouraging residents of all ages to walk, run, and connect—fostering healthier habits in air-conditioned comfort….reports Asian Lite News In a bold move to blend
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Sheikh Mohammed, Erdogan discuss future of strategic ties

Sheikh Mohammed said Turkey’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai offers

UAE sends $100mn in aid to Turkey, Syria

The UAE humanitarian arm and a number of ministries have