The heavy price of the government's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention

As the AKP government remains insufficient in protecting fundamental rights, Turkey continues to decline in international indices that measure freedom and security standards.

The 2023/24 Women, Peace, and Security Index (WPS) by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security reveals the inequalities in the status of women worldwide. First published in 2017 and now in its fourth edition, the index provides a comprehensive assessment of 177 countries regarding women's rights and security.

In the 2023/24 WPS Index, Turkey ranked 99th out of 177 countries. The index classified Turkey within the Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Middle East regions.

Turkey's position in the index deals another blow to the country's international image. Turkey ranking 99th out of 177 countries in this significant index raises serious concerns.

The comprehensive analysis underlying the 2023/2024 Women, Peace, and Security Index draws attention to Turkey's regressing policies in the fields of education and social security. This decline has caused Turkey to fall to lower rankings when compared to other countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

A significant setback for Turkey regarding women's rights occurred with its official withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention in July 2021. The decision to withdraw from this international agreement, which aims to prevent violence against women, was widely criticized both within Turkey and internationally, dealing another blow to the country's global image. The World Women, Peace and Security Index has demonstrated how the government's withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention has affected and worsened the peace and security of our women; our country continues to deteriorate rapidly in all indices.