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Turkey prepares to leave women's rights convention

A decision by Turkey’s Council of State Tuesday opened the way for the nation to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention to prevent violence against women on July 1 despite condemnation from international bodies and women’s rights advocates.

BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images
Protesters hold flags reading "We will stop femicides" during a demonstration against Turkey's withdrawal from Istanbul Convention, an international accord designed to protect women, in Istanbul, on March 20, 2021. — BULENT KILIC/AFP via Getty Images

ISTANBUL — Turkey is set to leave the Istanbul Convention to prevent violence against women on July 1 following a decision by the nation’s Council of State Tuesday to reject appeals seeking to reverse the move.

The official withdrawal would come after months of protests by women’s rights advocates and opposition from international bodies, including the Council of Europe the US administration, who claim leaving the convention could deny women, children and the LGBT community in Turkey the legal framework to prevent gender-based violence and prosecute abusers.

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