Milestones

The Law no 4320 on the Protection of the Family, also known as the ‘Protection Order Law’ was adopted.

• The Campaign for Full Equality in the Turkish Civil Code was undertaken.
• The Optional Protocol to CEDAW entered into force. The optional protocol may be found at this link.

The Campaign for the Reform of the Turkish Penal Code (TCK) from a Gender Perspective was launched. Immediately after the reform of the Turkish Civil Code in 2001, WWHR initiated the Women’s Working Group on the Penal Code. The working group involved NGO representatives, lawyers from bar associations, and academics from all over the country. The group spent an entire year scrutinizing the existing and proposed Penal Codes and developing concrete demands. The criticisms and recommendations they came up with were formulated as new articles and assembled into a report, which was then shared with members of Parliament, NGOs, and the media. At the start of 2003, an extensive nationwide campaign was launched for gender equality reforms to the Turkish Penal Code. Established by 30 autonomous women’s organizations from various parts of Turkey, the Women’s Platform on the Turkish Penal Code engaged in advocacy and lobbying on the national as well as local level for two years. During the campaign, a booklet detailing the platform’s demands was prepared and printed, various meetings and press conferences held, meetings with MPs took place, and the operations of the Parliamentary Sub-Committee on the Penal Code and Justice Committee were closely monitored and our demands communicated to them. In addition to these, the media was regularly informed about any developments, the Parliament targeted with fax and phone campaigns, and mass protests were held in various cities.

The Women’s Platform on the Turkish Penal Code submitted its CEDAW Shadow Report, which may be found at this link.

The Executive Committee for the NGO Forum on CEDAW and the Women’s Platform on the Turkish Penal Code prepared the CEDAW Shadow Report, available at this link.

The Law no 6284 on the Protection of the Family and Prevention of Violence against Women was adopted. An outcome of women’s solidarity and efforts on the part of the Platform to End Violence along with many other women’s organizations and platforms, the law is a critical achievement for women and children experiencing or at risk of violence despite its shortcomings and failure to include all of the campaign’s demands.

The Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence, known for short as the Istanbul Convention entered into force. This newest and most comprehensive instrument on combating violence against women was opened for signature in Istanbul in May 2011 and came into force in 2014. On the year it was opened for signature, Turkey became the first to sign and ratify the convention without any reservations. Currently signed by 46 states and the European Union, the convention has been ratified by 32 countries. As a human rights treaty on combating violence against women, the Istanbul Convention is not only concerned with punishing perpetrators or ending impunity, but also creating the conditions for women to live their lives safely, without fear, free from violence and discrimination, and be entitled to reparations for any violence they have faced. The full text of the Istanbul Convention may be found at this link.

• The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were ratified by all UN Member States including Turkey. As a result of the valiant efforts of the global women’s movement, the issue of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls was included as a stand-alone goal (Goal 5) among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals centered around the three dimensions of sustainable development, namely the economic, the social, and the environmental. In addition to this, an emphasis on women and girls was incorporated under 10 more goals.
• WWHR co-founder Pınar İlkkaracan was granted the Joan B. Dunlop Award presented by the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) to support women working to build healthy and safe societies for women and girls.

• Turkey underwent its 2nd voluntary national review of its progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2nd Alternative Civil Society Report on Turkey’s National Review was written and published as a collaborative effort of 8 NGOs. The website www.hedef5.org was launched, focusing on the SDGs.
• On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, the Beijing+25 Women’s Platform – Turkey was founded with over 60 member organizations. The platform prepared and disseminated the Policy Position Paper available at this link to be used for national and international advocacy in the lead-up to Beijing+25.
• Prompted by news reports that a possible “amnesty to child sexual abusers through marriage” was once again on its way to Parliament, the TCK 103 (Turkish Penal Code art. 103) Women’s Platform comprising 165 women’s and LGBTI+ organizations released a public statement, saying “We reject any and all changes to legislation that may serve to legitimize rape, early and forced marriages, or child abuse.” The full text of the declaration (only in Turkish) may be found here.
• The Women’s Platform on Alimony Rights involving almost 200 women’s and LGBTI+ organizations succeeded in postponing planned amendments to the articles of the Civil Code concerning alimonies with its campaign to keep women’s alimony rights intact. Campaign materials are available here.
• The United Nations carried out its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of Turkey, evaluating the country’s human rights track record. Rights violations such as persisting gender inequalities, violence against women, feminicide, as well as early and child marriages were addressed in the recommendations of the UPR. WWHR contributed to the NGO report prepared the Human Rights Joint Platform, preparing its sections on violence against women and gender equality. The report in question is available at this link.
• In response to the social media campaign launched by those opposed to the Istanbul Convention in the wake of the murder of Emine Bulut, the Women’s Platform on Alimony Rights started a counter campaign with the hashtag the #IstanbulConventionSavesLives.

• In the summer of 2020, the government had triggered a series of discussions pertaining to the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention. These discussions had been confronted with widespread protests, yet on March 20, 2021 at 2.30AM Turkey withdraw from the Istanbul Convention with the Presidential Decree No. 3718. Women and LGBTI+ people organized street marches all around the country protesting the decision. Relevant bodies of the United Nations, European Union, and Council of Europe issued statements condemning the decision, and international feminist organizations shared their solidarity messages. Women for Women’s Human Rights have created an online chronology that archives all the developments that have taken place since the March 20.
• Bar associations, NGOs, political parties, trade unions and individuals filed lawsuits at the Council of State against the 2021 Presidential Decree demanding the reversal of the decision on the grounds that it constituted a usurpation of function and violated the Constitution. Turkish government, despite the illegality of the decision to withdraw, reported its decision to the Council of Europe on March 23 and the notice was put into operation. In accord with the Article 80 of the Istanbul Convention, in three months, the withdrawal decision had become official. During this period, women’s and LGBTI+ organizations and platforms sent letters to intergovernmental human rights institutions, including the Council of Europe, explaining that the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention is against national law and procedures. The letters stated that the legality of the annulment application should be examined.
• Women’s and LGBTI+ organizations from Turkey came together with European organizations and international networks to organize a campaign aiming to defend the Istanbul Convention, which is under attack, and to advocate for gender equality. The campaign group named United for Istanbul Convention in its first public action made the following public statement: “On the 10th Anniversary of Istanbul Convention, we forcefully protest Turkey’s unacceptable attempt to withdraw from the treaty. We consider the decision null and void and urge its President and government to reverse the decision.” For the details of the campaign, see this link.
• Within the scope of the Eighth Periodic Review, Turkey delivered its report to the CEDAW Committee. The women’s movement presented its own shadow report. Then, during the review process the CEDAW Committee made public its questions in relation to the eighth periodic report of Turkey. In line with the comments expressed and issues underlined in the shadow report, the Committee presented a comprehensive view on Turkey’s decision to pull out of the Istanbul Convention.