Turkey pulls out of treaty protecting women from violence

Politicians claim charter damages family unity, encourages divorce and acceptance of the LGBT community.

Turkey has pulled out of the world’s first binding treaty to prevent and combat violence against women, a presidential decree said Friday, in the latest victory for conservatives in President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s governing party. The 2011 Istanbul Convention requires governments to adopt legislation prosecuting domestic violence and similar abuse, as well as marital rape and female genital mutilation. No reason was provided for the withdrawal, but officials in Erdogan’s governing AK Party had said last year the government was considering pulling out amid a dispute about how to curb growing violence against women.