CHP to apply to Council of State over withdrawal from Istanbul Convention

ANKARA

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) has decided to take the government’s decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention to the Council of State.

Upon the government’s decision of withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention published in the official gazette, the CHP leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu convened the Central Executive Board (MYK) and the party assembly to an extraordinary meeting on March 20.

The party reportedly concluded that President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan does not have the authority to terminate the Istanbul Convention.

The CHP focused on the fact that it is the first time Turkey withdraws from an agreement on human rights, ANKA news agency reported. The main opposition party is of the view that the withdrawal decision is “null and void” because according to Article 90 of the constitution, a treaty can only be abolished by law, and the parliament has not taken such a decision. The decision to terminate the Istanbul Convention based on the authority granted by Article 3 of the Presidential Decree (CBK) No. 9, which entered into force in 2018.

Emphasizing the importance of the articles in the convention, Kılıçdaroğlu said, “Terminating one of the international agreements means that one can exit other international agreements with the same method. This is a very distressing situation for Turkey.”

CHP Spokesperson Faik Öztrak said his party is making preparations to apply to the Council of State.

The CHP official cited the figure that 38 of every 100 women in Turkey had been exposed to violence by her spouse in a period of her life.