VAN - Zozan Özgökçe, one of the founders of VAKAD, stated that the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention gave power to the men who committed violence, and said that women who applied to police stations were sent back to their homes without any measures being taken.

 

Turkey, on March 20, has withdrawn from the Istanbul Convention with a Presedential decree. Turkey was the first signatory to sign the convention on 11 May 2011. According to the data of the We Will Stop Femicide Platform (KCDP), 28 women were murdered in March following the withdrawal from the decision and 19 women died under suspicious circumstances. While at least 15 women have been murdered since the decision was taken, the perpetrators who got stronger with the withdrawal from the decision started to say that many issues such as the suspension order and alimony are no longer binding for them.

 

Zozan Özgökçe, one of the founders of Van Women's Association (VAKAD), which was closed with the Decree-Law during the State of Emergency (OHAL), evaluated the situation women face with the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention.

 

MEN GOT STRONGER WITH THE WITHDRAWAL FROM THE CONVENTION

 

Stating that the men got stronger and started asking questions about how they got rid of some binding things with the withdrawal and if they can get the custody of the children or get rid of paying alamony Özgökçe said: "Men working in public institutions were more afraid of the convention. Consequenses of their actions like restraining orders could be issues in their work places. The convention protected everyone. Now it encourages those who commit violence. 12 hours after the withdrawal from the convention, 6 women were murdered. Men paying alamony or have a restraining order are now much stronger."

 

POLICE STATIONS DO NOT ACCEPT APPLICATIONS OF WOMEN ANYMORE

 

Saying that the Convention is a guide in many ways against violence against women, Özgökçe said, "The Convention also protected girls against sexual abuse. Police stations are now 'relieved'. There are things we witness from the media and things we heard from women; Women going to the police stations to file criminal complaints say that the police stations no longer accept their applications and recieve answers like 'There is no such thing as a restrainin order anymore'. They are not removed from environments they are subjected to violence. There is nothing that protects women with the withdrawal. On the other hand, the government is now not applying the existing laws and regulations." 

 

CAUSES OF WITHDRAWAL

 

Stating that she felt more secure while the convention was in effect, Özgökçe said that her concerns increased with the decision of withdrawal. Özgökçe asked, "Who do I go to now when I am subjected to violence?" and pointed out the reasons for the withdrawal from the Convention, as: "They withdrew from the convention by saying 'it is against our religion.' However, those who said that did not looked into the convention, nor did they read the convention at all, or maybe they did not really know their religion well enough. Their religious objections were very unfounded and baseless. Another reason is the rhetoric that it harms the family structure. The convention dictates that the women must be safe in their homes and not be exposed to violence. Who is against this? Of course the men who exposes the women to violence. Homophobics and the people doing politics using religion.

 

SELF-DEFENCE

 

Calling on women to defend themselves against possible violence with self-defense, Özgökçe continued: "Women are attacked and exposed to violence in the middle of the street and people merely stand by and watch. Our first priority is to use our right to self defense at this point. Women's organizations and women must fight back and organize more for all of our rights taken away from us."

 

 

MA / Özlem Yayan