Protests against violence against women: Many arrests at a rally in Ankara

Status: 11/25/2022 9:53 p.m

On the occasion of the international day against violence against women, numerous people demonstrated in Ankara. Many demonstrators were arrested. In other cities in Turkey, the protests were banned.

In Turkey, the authorities have banned and prevented demonstrations by women in several cities. They wanted to take to the streets to mark the international day against violence against women.

In Istanbul, the police had cordoned off a large area of ​​the city center with a massive contingent in the afternoon. Residents only came into their apartments after bag checks. A helicopter circled overhead. Many police officers even took up positions on side streets. Several subway stations were closed.
A journalist from the Associated Press news agency saw three buses full of arrested protesters being taken to a nearby police station.

Arrests after rallies

Women’s organizations had called for a demonstration from 7 p.m. local time. Last year, individual groups broke through police barriers on the pedestrian zone on Istikal Street. The authorities justified this year’s ban with security measures after the deadly bomb attack in the street almost two weeks ago. Six people were killed. Turkish authorities blamed militant Kurdish groups for the attack, but they denied involvement.

In some cities, however, women have demonstrated. In Ankara, for example, rallies were allowed, but no marches. The women shouted the slogan of the protesters in Iran: Women live freedom. Dozens of demonstrators were arrested.

Criticism after leaving the Istanbul Convention

Turkey withdrew from the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention last year. Some officials from President Erdogan’s Islam-leaning party have argued that the convention is at odds with Turkey’s conservative values, as it encourages divorce and undermines the traditional family unit. Critics also claimed that it encourages same-sex relationships. Women’s rights groups and Western countries had sharply criticized the exit.

Higher prison sentences for violence against women

Earlier this year, Parliament passed a bill that would increase prison sentences for crimes in which the victim is a woman and make stalking a crime punishable by jail.

At an event, Erdogan vowed to “keep raising the bar” for preventing violence against women. “We cannot allow a single woman to become a victim of violence,” he said.

However, human rights groups believe that existing measures do not adequately protect women or hold perpetrators accountable. According to the human rights organization We Will Stop Femicide, at least 349 women have been killed in Turkey so far this year.

With information from Uwe Lueb, ARD Studio Istanbul

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