Turkey – Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention (20 March 2021)

France deeply regrets the Turkish authorities’ decision to withdraw from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, even though Turkey was the first to ratify it in 2011.

To date, the Istanbul Convention has been the most successful international instrument as regards preventing and combating violence against women. This decision will first affect Turkish women, to whom France expresses its wholehearted solidarity.

The decision more generally marks a further setback concerning respect for human rights, of which women’s rights are an integral part.

With attacks on women’s rights becoming more widespread across the world, France will continue to mobilize and commit itself to fighting all forms of sexist and sexual violence.