Turkey has confirmed it is to exit the Istanbul Convention which aims to combat violence against women and domestic violence.

It was announced on 19th March that it was going to pull out and now confirmation has been published in the Official Gazette confirming that the presidential decision has been signed by both the president and the ruling Justice And Development Party (AKP) and it will come into effect on 1st July 2021.

The official Gazette report said that “the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, which was signed by Turkey on 11th May 2011 and approved with Cabinet Decree no. 2012/2816 on 10th February 2012, shall be terminated by Turkey as per Article 3 of the Presidential Decree no. 9.”

Following this presidential decision published on 30th April, several social media users, women’s rights defenders, lawyers and politicians, denounced the decision, recalling that the convention was unanimously approved at the Parliament and stressing that it is not possible for Turkey to withdraw from an international convention with a Presidential decision.

After the Presidential decision to pull Turkey out of the Istanbul Convention was met with criticism and objections in both Turkey and around the world, the Communications Directorate of the Presidency released a written statement about the issue on 22nd March.

It said: “Turkey was the first signatory to the Istanbul Convention”, adding that the “İstanbul Convention, originally intended to promote women’s rights, was hijacked by a group of people attempting to normalise homosexuality – which is incompatible with Turkey’s social and family values. Hence the decision to withdraw.”