By Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA (AA) - EU countries are concerned about Turkey's decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women, the head of the EU Delegation to Turkey said on Tuesday.
In his visit to the Association of Parliamentary Correspondents in the capital Ankara, Nikolaus Meyer-Landrut shared some EU member states' statements on Turkey's withdrawal from the treaty.
"There was a common emphasis of these statements, which was the concern about the withdrawal of Turkey from the Istanbul Convention," Meyer-Landrut said.
Meyer-Landrut noted that domestic violence has increased with rising difficulties during the pandemic.
"We all need to fight domestic violence, violence against women and children. This must be the main issue," he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan signed a decree last Friday night to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, which it had signed in 2011, the first country to do so.
The Turkish government has rejected criticisms saying the decision to withdraw from the treaty "by no means denotes that Turkey compromises on the protection of women."
"The decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention by no means denotes that Turkiye [Turkey] 'compromises the protection of women.' The Turkish State has continuously stressed that the country will not give up on its fight against domestic violence by quitting the Convention," Turkey's Communications Directorate said Sunday.
The convention seeks to prevent violence against women, including domestic violence, and bring an end to legal impunity for perpetrators.
While the convention was enforced in 34 countries, including Turkey, some countries – Ukraine, the UK, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Moldova, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Hungary, Armenia, and Bulgaria – signed the document but have yet to ratify it.
Some items of the convention caused debate over gender equality in Turkey, with critics saying they damage traditional family values.
Turkish officials say national legislation is enough to defend women from violence without need for the convention.