Lawyer Çiğdem Sevimli: Women’s requests to get protection orders are denied
Pointing out that the process of the violence against women cases has changed after Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, lawyer Çiğdem Sevimli said, “Women’s requests to get protection orders and restraining orders are denied by the courts. The courts’ decisions affect women, who are subjected to violence.”
MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU
Amed – Turkey officially exited from the Istanbul Convention, the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence, as of July 1, 2021. Women took the streets across Turkey to protest the withdrawal from the convention by a Presidential Decree published on 20 March. Lawyer Çiğdem Sevimli told us that women’s requests to get protection orders and restraining orders are denied by the courts since July 1. “Women, whose requests are accepted, get only seven-day protection orders and restraining orders.”
“The convention creates a comprehensive legal framework to combat violence against women”
The Istanbul Convention creates a comprehensive legal framework and approach to combat violence against women and domestic violence, Çiğdem Sevimli said that the convention aims to take new measures according to the forms of violence against women.
“The convention was like a lifesaver for women in Turkey”
Indicating that they have referred to Law No. 6284 in the violence against women cases since Turkey withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, Çiğdem Sevimli noted that this law is a law based on application. “The Istanbul Convention was like a lifesaver for women in Turkey. Since Turkey withdrew from the convention, we have prepared the defenses according to Law No. 6284, adopted in Turkey to Protect Family and Prevent Violence against Women. This law is still in force but we face many difficulties in the implementation of the law.”
“Women’s requests to get protection orders are denied”
Çiğdem Sevimli said that they had prepared their defenses by referring to the Istanbul Convention, “Now, we refer to Law No. 6284. It is also an important law but there are legal gaps in the law. We have received reports saying many women’s requests to get protection orders and restraining orders are denied by the courts. Women, whose requests are accepted, get only seven-day protection orders and restraining orders. Seven days are not enough to protect women from violence. The courts demand concrete evidence from lawyers to prove that their clients were subjected to violence. The courts’ decisions affect women, who are subjected to violence. The changes in the legal processes are a disadvantage for women and an advantage for men. Men are protected by immunity.”