ANKARA - Stating that their concerns increased after the decision to withdraw from the Istanbul Convention, women in Ankara said that they did not trust the legal system, but the organized power of women and solidarity in social media.

 

Protests and criticism against the withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention continue. Women who are very protective of the convention says both their concerns and their determination to protect the convention increased with the recent developments. The women we spoke to in the city center of Ankara emphasized that they no longer trust the legal system but they have faith in the organized struggle of the women.

 

THERE IS NO LAW TO PROTECT WOMEN

 

Stating that women are exposed to all kinds of dangers, Nazmiye Kaya said, “There is no guarantee that I will not be harassed, raped or attacked while walking down the street or returning home from work. Under these circumstances, there is no law to protect me. We know that the perpetrators will be arrested and released again after a certain period, and the crime will continue to increase each time they are released. None of us are safe. While we were waiting for the Istanbul Convention to be implemented, they unfortunately withdrew from the İstanbul Convention. That is why I am in favor of revoking this decision as soon as possible and putting it back into effect.”

 

IT'S THE GOVERNMENTS FAULT

 

Evaluating the withdrawal decision as “misogyny”, Feriha Oray said, “When we go out the door, we are afraid. We don't feel safe. We are afraid for our children and grandchildren. As long as this government stays in power, this will go on like this. They always follow a policy of intimidation. They are hostile to women. They want the people to be ok with eberything they do."

 

WE CAN'T TRUST THE GOVERNMENT

 

Stating that the decision to withdrawal from the contract was decided without empathy with the women exposed to violence, Dilan Naz Akyüz said, “We carried out a lot of protests here. They didn't see us or acknowladge what we want. They ignore what everyone can see."  Underlining that they are trying to make their voices heard but do not feel safe, Akyüz said, “I know that if something happens to me when I go out, only the women will look out for my rights. Other than that, I do not have any trust to the government. Anything can happen at any moment, and when something happens, nobody has the right to speak. This is why we try to do something together. We are doing protests.”