Turkey has left the Istanbul Convention designed to protect women against violence and combatting against domestic violence, reported TRT World.
“‘The Council of Europe Convention on Violence Against Women and Prevention of Domestic Violence and Combatting With Them’ has been terminated by the Republic of Turkey,” said the official gazette issued by the presidency early on Saturday.
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Ankara signed the convention in 2011 and was the first country to ratify it.
The decision comes after President Recep Tayyip Erdogan vowed a wide range of human rights reforms.
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Turkey’s Communications Director Fahrettin Altun says the country continues to “struggle with determination for women to participate more in social, economic, political and cultural life. Women are not objects but subjects of life!”
Turkish central bank chief replaced
Another decree issued by the Turkish presidency said the central bank governor has been dismissed and replaced.
Governor Naci Agbal was appointed by President Erdogan in November. Professor Sahap Kavcioglu became the new chief of the central bank.
The decision comes as Agbal hiked interest rates by 200 points earlier this week.
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Early elections?
Both moves suggest Erdogan is at the threshold of a radical policy change, though the new direction is most likely to be the exact opposite of what the modern world demands from him. It is too early to be definitive about Erdogan’s intentions, but replacing a hawkish Central Bank governor and signing an act which will deeply infuriate Turkey’s budding women’s equality movement could be interpreted as pandering to the Islamist-conservative base of voters and small businesses. It could also mean, Erdogan is contemplating a snap election, where the AKP-MHP platform will be not the economy, but family values, return to Islam and a struggle against PKK terrorism. To recall, durign the week, Turkey’s Attorney General launched a lawsuit to ban pro-Kurdish Rights Party, HDP at the Constitutional Court.
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