ANKARA: Turkey has withdrawn from the Istanbul Convention on women's rights, which aims to protect women against violence.
The decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was published in the country's official gazette on Saturday morning, reports dpa news agency.
Established in 2011, the Istanbul Convention, a treaty developed by the non-EU organisation Council of Europe, aims to create a legal framework to prevent and fight against violence against women and domestic violence. Erdogan had personally signed the convention in Istanbul when he was Prime Minister.
It was later ratified in Turkey, but according to the country's 'We Will Stop Femicide Platform', it was never applied. The organisation seeks to stop femicide and ensure that women are protected from violence.
Following the decision to withdraw from the convention, 'We Will Stop Femicide's' leader took to Twitter to call for protests.
The organisation's general secretary, Fidan Ataselim, said the government is endangering the lives of millions of women by leaving. She called on Turkish leaders to reverse the decision and apply the convention.
According to the organization, at least 300 women were murdered by men in Turkey last year alone. (IANS)