Withdrawal from Istanbul Convention by decree is invalid: İYİ Party leader

ANKARA

The presidential decree that withdrew Turkey from the Istanbul Convention is invalid in both legal and political terms, İYİ (Good) Party leader Meral Akşener said on March 31.

“Whatever they say, everyone should know that that convention is still valid. The method and the decision announced were both legally and politically invalid,” Akşener said while addressing her parliament group members.

On March 20, a presidential decree was issued to end Turkey’s participation in the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention, a comprehensive treaty that introduces strict obligations to the party states to take all the measures to end violence against women and any sort of discrimination against women.

Akşener also criticized President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan over frequent changes in the Central Bank leadership.

“The state isn’t governed by playing with institutions and corporate values. The economy isn’t managed by changing the Central Bank head every six months. In a country where the Central Bank head is dismissed via an overnight decree, there can be no talk of stability,” she said.