“Istanbul Convention is ours!" said 10 women's rights activists from Turkey in Brussels and Berlin

On 14 - 18 November 2022, 10 women activists fighting for women's and LGBTI+ Rights in various fields (civil society organizations, parties, bar associations, local governments) held meetings with various institutions, groups and politicians in Brussels and Berlin on the President of Turkey’s decision to leave the Istanbul Convention. In these meetings, the participants emphasized that they do not recognize this unlawful and top-down decision and that there are things that can be done both at national and European level. In Brussels, the meetings were mostly with EU Representatives (Commission and Parliament), but some other organizations were also visited. The European Women's Lobby was one of these organizations. Especially in this meeting, solidarity and the importance of the Istanbul Convention for both Turkey and Europe were emphasized. It was also noteworthy that there are efforts to increase the number of countries from the member states of the Council of Europe that are ratified the Convention.

The meetings in Berlin were mostly held with civil society organizations and politicians. In these meetings, the delegation members explained the situation in Turkey and the legal, political and social struggles and expressed their expectation for solidarity. In a meeting of experts held at the FES Berlin Centre, the current situation of women in Turkey and strategies of struggle were discussed in detail. The meetings with the representatives of the Istanbul Convention Alliance in Germany and the Istanbul Convention implementation officer of the Berlin Senate reminded us once again that the struggle on this issue is not just a struggle of one country but a common struggle of all women.