Violence against women and gender-based violence are systematic in Turkey. The Istanbul Convention is the only instrument that can protect women. The lack of legal remedies and prosecution threatens the lives of thousands of women every day. With the rise to power of the conservative Islamic AKP party, life for women has changed drastically. The convention is presented as a threat to traditional family life. The government has used this reason as an excuse to reopen a debate on the convention and reconsider the decision. Politicians condemn the participation of women in public life. Patriarchal values are perpetuated in all layers of society and nurtured by the conservative government. The government's fear of women cannot be overlooked[4].

Not a day goes by without images of women being killed appearing in the news. On the right, in a purple box on the website of the platform 'Kadin Cinayetlerini Durduracagiz' (We will end femicides), the number of femicides is shown. But the box shows more than just numbers; if you click on the box, the numbers become names. Names of women who have been killed by their male relatives, their husbands, their partners and ex-partners. It is the sheer violence that is shocking alongside the rising numbers. Women are beaten, strangled and burned to death. Last year, the death of a 27-year-old woman shocked the entire country[5].

On March 20, 2021, Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention by presidential decree. Even though the Turkish constitution stipulates that Turkey can only withdraw from the treaty with the approval of parliament, developments in recent years have given the president more and more power. Normally, the president has to justify such a decision to the Council of State. However, this has not happened and the Council of State is delaying any objections to the withdrawal from the convention.[6] The president's decision will come into force on July 1, 2021. The withdrawal from the convention is a further sign of developments in the country. There are no mechanisms in place to protect women's rights. Every day, reports of women being killed and suspicious deaths appear on social media and in the news. While politicians and non-governmental organizations have been critical of the withdrawal, there are no consequences. Women are left alone with their fate.

Presidential system: Turkey has had a presidential system since 2016, before that there was a parliamentary system.

On June 19, women gathered in Istanbul in solidarity to demonstrate against the withdrawal from the treaty. In contrast to the divisions that otherwise prevail in Turkey's political landscape, here women from different parties and organizations came together to fight for a common goal. In addition, they commemorated Deniz Poyraz, a woman who worked at the office of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP) in Izmir and was killed just days earlier by a gunman who stormed the office.[7] The act was racially motivated. After the attack, the leader of the right-wing party publicly stated that violence against the Kurdish party was legitimate[8].

Women are being pushed more and more into the background, but this has not stopped women from organizing and uniting to defend the Istanbul Convention and campaign for its re-ratification. It is a picture of hope and solidarity. These women are demanding respect for women's and LGBTQI rights. In a country that is becoming increasingly polarized every day, uniting women for women's and human rights is a powerful step that no one can or should ignore.

This article was first published on TheYelling20s? - a peace policy and development-critical blog by Master's students of Peace and Conflict Research Marburg. Thank you for the permission to repost.

TheYelling20s?

In reference to the "Roaring 20s" of the last century, our blog deals with the question of whether the coming years will become "The Yelling 20s": a decade of significant social change, triggered by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and embedded in the multiple crises of our time.

Our blog posts focus on current crises and conflicts, social challenges in various parts of the world and other current upheavals and possible effects. These are always linked to a critical examination of the concept of "solidarity". Just have a look...

Literature:

[1] Council of Europe: Turkey. At: https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention/turkey

[2] Council of Europe (2019). The Istanbul Convention, an Effective Instrument for the Prevention of Gender-Based Violence. A Handbook for Parliamentarians on the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence. At: http://www.assembly.coe.int/LifeRay/EGA/WomenFFViolence/2019/2019-HandbookIstanbulConvention-DE.pdf

[3] Kadin Cinayetlerini Durduracagiz (2021). February Report 2021. at: http://kadincinayetlerinidurduracagiz.net/veriler/2957/2021-february-report-of-we-will-end-femicide-platform

[4] Gottschlich, J. (2020). More and more femicides in Turkey: Beaten, strangled, burned. At: https://taz.de/Immer-mehr-Femizide-in-der-Tuerkei/!5703468/

[5] Sancar, N. (2020). İstanbul sözleşmesi ve toplumsal cinsiyet konusu. At: https://www.evrensel.net/yazi/86804/istanbul-sozlesmesi-ve-toplumsal-cinsiyet-konusu

[6] Tekin, A. (2021). Kadınlar İstanbul Sözleşmesi için alanlara çıktı: Tüm şarkıları Deniz Poyraz için söylüyoruz. At: https://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/kadinlar-istanbul-sozlesmesi-icin-alanlara-cikti-tum-sarkilari-deniz-poyraz-icin-soyluyoruz-haber-1525986

[7] Mor Çatı (2021). Mor Çatı İstanbul Sözleşmesi'nden çekilme kararının iptali için Danıştay'da dava açtı: İstanbul Sözleşmesi'nden vazgeçmiyoruz! At: https://morcati.org.tr/istanbul-sozlesmesi/basin-aciklamalari-istanbul-sozlesmesi/mor-cati-istanbul-sozlesmesinden-geri-cekilme-kararinin-iptali-icin-danistayda-dava-acti/

[8] Devlet Bahçeli'den Deniz Poyraz iddiası. At: https://www.sozcu.com.tr/2021/gundem/bahceli-kilicdaroglunun-agzindaki-bakla-zehirlidir-6499430/