The ruling party has created a dangerous country for women and children by withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention, said TJA’s activist Emine Kaya, adding, “We don’t accept the withdrawal of the convention and we will continue to show our reactions until the government pulls back from its decision.”

MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

Amed – After Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention by a Presidential decree, many women’s organizations and women’s rights activists and politicians have continued to react to the decision. Emine Kaya, an activist of the Free Women’s Movement (Tevgera Jinên Azad-TJA), talked to us about the withdrawal from the convention and said that the ruling party has made the country an unlivable place for women.  Reminding that Turkey was one of the first countries signed the convention; Emine Kaya stated that the government’s withdrawal from the convention is incomprehensible because it proudly signed the convention.

“They did a 180-degree turn”

“At that time, it (AKP) wanted to gild the pill to make its propaganda. But now, they did a 180 degree. Not a single country that signed the convention has withdrawn from it. But Turkey has withdrawn from it even if it proudly talked about it at the beginning. Before the decision, even a single article of the convention wasn’t implemented. Although the current situation (in Turkey) is known, the government has created an even more dangerous country for women and children,” said Emine Kaya.

“People have no trust in justice and the state”

Emine Kaya highlighted that femicides and violence against women have increased more after Turkey’s withdrawal from the convention and she said, “Violence against women is at the alarming level in the country and it keeps increasing. Three or four women are killed in the country every day. We don’t add the death of women recorded as suspicious deaths in this figure. Men and misogynists have turned this into an opportunity for them. The people have no trust in justice and the state anymore. The withdrawal from the convention is unacceptable while so many women are killed. Does the government have a logical reason and explanation for withdrawal from the convention? No, it doesn’t have. It just withdrew from the convention to create a perception. It wants to form a basis for the oncoming elections.”

“We will keep taking to the streets”

 Emine Kaya stated that the ruling party took such a step to please those who are uncomfortable with women to have their rights, “As women of the TJA, we know very well the real goal of the government. They want women to remain silent in every field at home, in the street, by creating the women they want. But we will allow. As Kurdish women, women's rights defenders, we will always keep speaking out and taking to the streets to have our say in the fields. We don’t accept the withdrawal from the convention and we will continue to show our reaction until the government pulls back from its decision.”