April 15, 2021
Alon Ben-Meir
NEW YORK It is hard to find something more scornful than President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s sudden decision to withdraw Turkey from the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence.
The treaty, which is known as the Istanbul Convention, was finalized in Istanbul in 2011, no less, and aims to protect victims, and end impunity for perpetrators of vile acts against women. Erdogan hosted the signing of the treaty, which makes it all the more absurd that he would be the one to withdraw from it a contemptable move that is surpassed only by his moral insolvency.
Turkey s Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention: Is it Justified? - JURIST - Commentary jurist.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from jurist.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Opinion
People wearing protective masks stroll at Eminonu district amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Istanbul, Turkey March 3, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Murad Sezer
Her eyes were nearly as dark as her abaya, large and filled with tears. She was young, not much more than 30, with dark hair, uncovered, that tumbled loosely down her back. A man’s hand wrapped around her throat, pinning her against a car parked at the curb; and I watched, on a busy street in Istanbul, as other men surrounded the man and woman, ordering him to stop, to let her go.
Instead, he raised his free hand and slapped her in the face.
April 12, 2021 Share
Turkey’s President Erdogan has withdrawn from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence by issuing a decree. This invited criticism and concern both domestically and abroad. Numerous women’s rights groups slammed the decision. Advocacy group- Women’s Coalition Turkey said that the withdrawal from a human rights agreement was a first in Turkey. “It is clear that this decision will further encourage the murderers of women, harassers, rapists,” their statement said. A UN Joint Statement in response to Turkey’s withdrawal from Istanbul Convention stated that the United Nations in Turkey is deeply concerned about the decree No.3718 announced in the Official Gazette on March 20, 2021, with which Turkey terminates being a party to the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence. The Council of Europe’
Last Updated On: Apr 10 2021 10:40 Gmt+3
Make no mistake, the EU’s Turkey “policy” is largely inspired by the Berlin government’s appeasement approach and this has been the case since the end of 2015. Slowly, but surely, Berlin managed to gather around itself at least seven vocal pro-Erdoğan member states (Bulgaria, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania and Spain) to impose upon the EU Council and the EU Commission a so-called positive agenda.
Despite all odds and accruing threats during 2020 from Ankara’s strongman,the Chancellor, who is the unique head of government in the West to have built a warm relationship with Erdoğan, managed to reach her objective at the October Special European Council. It has here that it was decided, “provided constructive efforts to stop illegal activities vis-à-vis Greece and Cyprus are sustained, the European Council has agreed to launch a positive political EU-Turkey agenda with a specific emphasis on the modernisation of the Cust