Michelle Bachelet condemned Turkey’s withdrawal from …

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said she was “appalled” after Turkey announced its withdrawal from a European treaty aimed at combating gender violence. Bachelet called on the Turkish government to reverse its decision and “make concrete efforts” to protect women. The Istanbul Convention requires governments to pass laws that punish domestic violence and similar abuses, including marital rape and female genital mutilation. The government of Recep Tayyip Erdogan argued for his departure claiming that the agreement had been “hijacked to normalize homosexuality incompatible with the social and family values ​​of Turkey”.

“The High Commissioner expressed her dismay at the withdrawal, which represents an important step backwards in Turkey’s efforts to advance women’s rights, especially since gender inequalities remain a serious problem in Turkish societyThe statement from Michelle Bachelet’s office said.

The withdrawal of the so-called Istanbul Convention, an important regional human rights treaty on the fight against all forms of violence against women, “It reflects broader concerns about the human rights situation in the country, in particular the reduction of civic space and the lack of effective democratic participation in decision-making.”, adds the statement.

The former Chilean president understands that Turkey’s decision to withdraw from the treaty was taken without parliamentary debate or wider consultation with members of civil society, including groups that advocate for women’s rights. The decision “is even more shocking”, according to the UN statement, Turkey having been the first to ratify the treaty in March 2012.

The Convention on Preventing and Combating Gender-Based Violence was originally signed in May 2011 in Istanbul by fourteen member countries of the Council of Europe, including Turkey, while Erdogan was still Prime Minister. It has since entered into force in 34 Council of Europe countries. Russia and Azerbaijan are the only countries in this group that have not signed or ratified the pact.

The withdrawal from the treaty “sends a negative signal to the rest of the world” according to Bachelet, at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has further increased violence against women. President Erdogan signed a controversial decree last Saturday to remove the country from the Istanbul Convention, the world’s first binding instrument to prevent and combat gender-based violence.

Turkish conservative sectors argue that the treaty harms the family unit and encourages divorce. Turkey has debated its possible withdrawal from the deal after a senior official in Erdogan’s party raised the issue of abandoning the treaty last year. Since then, women have demonstrated en masse in Istanbul and other cities to demand the government to honor the agreement.