UN urges Turkey to return to women's rights accord
Special rapporteur Reem Alsalem has called on the Turkish government to reconsider last year’s decision to leave an UN agreement on combating abuse of women and girls.
ISTANBUL — The United Nations’ leading figure on violence against women has called on Turkey to re-join the Istanbul Convention following a 10-day visit to the country.
Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, a Council of Europe agreement to prevent and combat violence against women, with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decree in March last year.
“I profoundly regret Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention,” said Reem Alsalem, the UN’s special rapporteur on violence against women and girls.
The decision — confirmed by Turkey’s highest administrative court, the Council of State, last week — “was made against a background of strong and sustained support for the convention, particularly by women’s rights groups in the country," she said. “In adopting this decision, the State Council does not appear to be in sync with the sentiments of the majority of Turkey’s citizens.”
