URGENT APPEAL TO THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE
THE WITDRAWAL OF TURKEY FROM THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION BY A DECISION OF THE PRESIDENT CONTRADICTS THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK OF THE REPUBLIC OF TURKEY AND VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION.
On 20th March 2021, a Decision of the President was issued in the Official Gazette1 announcing the withdrawal2 of Turkey from the Istanbul Convention. Since that day, Turkey has been in an ever-growing tumult. The withdrawal has been highly criticised and found to violate the Constitution, not only by women’s and LGBTI+ organisations, but also by the majority of opposition political parties, 77 of the 79 bar associations in Turkey3, human rights organisations, numerous trade and labour unions, municipalities, corporations, universities, sports clubs and civil society organizations (CSOs) from different fields, various corporate sector organisations (including the largest, the Turkish Industry and Business Association)4, numerous prominent professors of law, and many others.
You can read the full letter here.
