News Center - Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) female MPs have announced that they have withdrawn from the Turkish parliamentary commission investigating the reasons for the violence against women. The female MPs said, “This commission has been formed to not prevent violence against women but to legitimize male violence and Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.”

HDP female MPs held a press conference to announce their withdrawal from the commission. HDP Ankara MP Filiz Kerestecioğlu and HDP Diyarbakır MP Semra Güzel made speech during the press conference.

“Taking part in this commission is not possible and right for us while the will of millions of women have been ignored,” Filiz Kerestecioğlu said.

“This commission has been formed to not prevent violence against women but to legitimize male violence and Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention,” Semra Güzel said.

The Confederation of Public Employees' Trade Unions (Turkish: Kamu Emekçileri Sendikaları Konfederasyonu- KESK) has announced that they will not participate in the meeting to be held by the parliamentary commission to protest Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention. The parliamentary commission invited KESK to participate in its meeting to be held on July 8, 2021.