Erdogan “legitimising violence” by claiming Istanbul Convention withdrawal did not affect women’s rights

On November 25th, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Erdoğan said: "Withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention has no negative side in terms of women's rights”, a comment which triggered widespread criticism from women’s rights advocates. Human Rights Association (İHD) Co-Chair Eren Keskin said “after every speech by the state, violence spreads even more throughout society. This is why we say violence against women is political.” She emphasised that “the official discourse directly influences the occurrence of femicides in the country”, drawing attention to the 18 women killed in November alone.

See: Medya News