Women oppose possible withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention

According to data collected by Jinnews agency, 35 women were killed by men in July and 8 women died suspiciously when the Istanbul Convention was up for review.

The Istanbul Convention is the first legally binding international document to counter violence against women and domestic violence.

Turkey, a signatory to that agreement, has decided in recent months to re-open the debate as violence against women continues to increase.

According to data collected by Jinnews agency, 35 women were killed by men in July and 8 women died suspiciously when the Istanbul Convention was up for review.

Pointing out that women are being drawn into a systematic spiral of violence, Dilan Çiftçi said that men appointed to all areas of life expose women to physical and emotional violence. Pointing out that femicide is political, Çiftçi added that she does not want to live in a country where even the judiciary is in favour of men.

Çiftçi warned that if the signature to the Convention were withdrawn, the existing problems of women and the violence they are subjected to will increase.

Çiftçi added that the government should “develop protective laws for women, children and animals instead of withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention.”

Çiftçi said: “It is not clear whether we will work or not. We become civil servants, it is not clear what will happen to us. I get worried about being out after 9 pm. I do not want these problems to happen in the land I live in. I want femicide to end. However, even the Istanbul Convention, which keeps women alive, has been put up to discussion.”

Saying that all those who oppose this convention are actually partly responsible for murders of women, Çiftçi added that she has nothing left to say about this country.

Noting that women are not safe in a country where murders of women are increasing, Berxwedan Demir said that the main reason why the government wants to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention was to be free to manipulate the problems in the country.

Demir warned that the attacks against women would increase if there is no reaction and called on women to raise their voices in every field.

Berfin Turan said that the main target is the very definition of 'woman'. Turan said: “Because where there is no woman, social structure and dynamics will also disappear. For this reason, we must protect our achievements and raise our voice against those who want to abolish the Istanbul Convention. We women will not bow down."

As an educator who has been subjected to social violence, Hasret Irçı shared her concern about a future withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention and drew attention to the importance of the agreement. Emphasizing that in fact the government admits that it approves violence against women with its intention to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, Irçı called on women: "If we hold hands and raise our voice together, we can prevent those who want to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention from achieving their purpose."