ETUC statement in response to Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention

The European Trade Union Confederation condemns the decision of the President of Turkey to pull his country out of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention) and considers it a devastating signal to women and girls in Turkey and across the world.

The ETUC furthermore urges countries that have not ratified the Convention yet, namely Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, the UK and Slovakia, to immediately ratify the Convention and to put adequate measures in place that protect women and girls from surging domestic and gender-based violence and urges Poland and others to refrain from considering to withdraw from the Convention.

The ETUC calls on the EU to use all effective measures available to urge the Government of Turkey to reconsider their decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention and considers its withdrawal to be part of the wider attack on all human and democratic rights in Turkey; the ETUC thoroughly condemns the daily repression and violence being used against trade unionists, ethnic minorities, LGBT activists, journalists, and anyone that dares to speak out.

The ETUC wants to express its solidarity with the women trade unionists of Turkey and assure them that we are by their side.

The full Statement can be accessed online here.