Hundreds protest Turkey's withdrawal from treaty preventing violence against women

Jacob Knutson
·1 min read

Hundreds of women, students and members of the LGBTQ community rallied in Istanbul on Saturday against Turkey's recent withdrawal from a Council of Europe treaty on preventing violence against women, according to AP.

Why it matters: Demonstrators demanded the government reverse its exit from the treaty, which comes amid a surge in femicides and domestic violence in Turkey, per Reuters.

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The big picture: The Council of Europe treaty was created to help prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence while promoting gender equality. Turkey signed the treaty in 2011.

  • Turkish officials said domestic law, rather than international treaties, would better protect women’s rights in the country and claimed that the treaty attempts to "normalize homosexuality," per AP.

  • Supporters of the treaty also demanded the Turkish government and police end anti-LGBTQ actions.

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