People demonstrating in Istanbul, Turkey, on March 26. Photo: Onur Dogman/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Hundreds of women, students and members of the LGBTQ community rallied in Istanbul on Saturday against Turkey's recent withdrawal from a Council of Europe treaty on preventing violence against women, according to AP.
Why it matters: Demonstrators demanded the government reverse its exit from the treaty, which comes amid a surge in femicides and domestic violence in Turkey, per Reuters.
The big picture: The Council of Europe treaty was created to help prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence while promoting gender equality. Turkey signed the treaty in 2011.
- Turkish officials said domestic law, rather than international treaties, would better protect women’s rights in the country and claimed that the treaty attempts to "normalize homosexuality," per AP.
- Supporters of the treaty also demanded the Turkish government and police end anti-LGBTQ actions.