Istanbul police detained dozens of individuals on Monday amid demonstrations advocating for stronger protections against violence towards women in Türkiye. The gathering coincided with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, a symbolic occasion underscoring the global call for ending gender-based violence. Authorities thwarted the planned protest by cordoning off İstiklal Avenue and other adjacent streets to prevent the congregation of demonstrators.
The protests were organized in part by the We Will Stop Femicides Platform, a key non-governmental organization that fights for women’s rights in the country. The organization has documented that in 2023 alone, 315 women were murdered by men, and another 248 women died under suspicious circumstances, underscoring the persistent threat women face in Türkiye. Crucially, 41% of these victims were murdered by their husbands.
Protesters expressed their discontent over President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s controversial 2021 decision to withdraw Türkiye from the Istanbul Convention. The treaty is a legally binding 2011 agreement aimed at preventing violence against women and mandating measures such as the establishment of rape crisis centers and legislation to diminish gender-based violence. In his administration’s 2021 statement, Erdogan cited the treaty’s purported promotion of homosexuality, which was deemed incompatible with Türkiye’s social and familial values, as a reason for the withdrawal.
Activists and women’s rights groups argue that the ruling AK Party has not sufficiently addressed the intricate issues of violence against women and girls. The recent protests are further fueled by public outrage over a tragic double murder of two women in Istanbul in October, as well as another femicide in September when an assailant with a significant criminal history fatally shot a policewoman during a violent altercation.
The persistence and frequency of these incidents have amplified calls for immediate government action to protect women and to address the prevailing culture of impunity surrounding gender-based violence.