🎙️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.
Women and LGBT groups on Thursday staged a protest against Turkey formally withdrawing from an international treaty protecting women from violence, the Associated Press reported.
Shortly after the withdrawal, hundred of women demonstrated in Istanbul with banners that said they won't give up on the Council of Europe's Istanbul Convention. One of the banners read, "It's not over for us."
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, "Some groups are trying to present our official withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention on July 1 as going backwards. Just like our fight against violence towards women did not start with the Istanbul Convention, it won't end with our withdrawal."
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
Erdogan ended the country's participation in the convention with a surprise overnight decree in March, prompting condemnation from women's rights groups and Western countries. A court appeal to stop the withdrawal was rejected this week.
Erdogan announced his "Action Plan for Combating Violence against Women" on Thursday, which includes goals such as reviewing judicial processes, improving protection services and gathering data on violence.
In March, the Turkish Presidency's Directorate of Communications issued a statement saying the Istanbul Convention was "hijacked" by those "attempting to normalize homosexuality – which is incompatible with Turkey's social and family values."
Erdogan emphasized traditional family and gender values Thursday, saying combating violence against women was also a fight to "protect the rights and the honor of our mothers, wives, daughters."
Women, LGBT groups and others have been protesting the decision. They say the convention's pillars of prevention, protection, criminal prosecution and policy coordination, as well as its identification of gender-based violence, are crucial to protecting women in Turkey.
Hundreds of women gathered Thursday amid a heavy police presence in Istanbul's main pedestrian thoroughfare. Police closed off the area but later briefly removed barricades to allow a short march. Protesters held colorful banners and rainbow flags, played music, whistled and shouted slogans.
On Saturday, police dispersed LGBT demonstrators with tear gas and detained dozens, who were later released.
Data by the We Will Stop Femicide group show that 189 women have been murdered so far in 2021 in the country, and 409 last year.
Amnesty International called Turkey's withdrawal "shameful" in a statement.
"At the stroke of midnight today, Turkey turned its back on the gold standard for the safety of women and girls. The withdrawal sends a reckless and dangerous message to perpetrators who abuse, maim and kill: That they can carry on doing so with impunity," said Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard.
