THE RATIFICATION OF THE ISTANBUL CONVENTION BY THE EUROPEAN UNION AND ITS EFFECT ON CANDIDATE STATES: SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO TURKEY

Year 2024, Volume: 82 Issue: 2

Belkıs Şahinoğlu

https://doi.org/10.30915/abd.1357057

Abstract

This research evaluates the process and consequences of the European Union’s recent ratification of the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). The issue of violence against women persists as a global problem, and with the Union ratifying the Convention in June 2023 and its pledge toward actions to curb gender-based violence, this issue has gained ever more traction throughout Europe and its surrounding geographies. Analysing the hurdles within the ratification process, it can be said that ratification was a progressive move for the Union. Thus discussion of the obligations of Member States, particularly those that have not ratified the Convention, is necessitated. As a country historically controversial to gender-based violence, Turkey has gained much international and national notoriety in withdrawing from the Istanbul Convention in 2021. With the recent regeneration of communications with Turkey and the EU reaffirming Turkey’s candidate status, an examination of Turkey’s standing in fulfilment of its accession obligations is warranted. Consequently, Turkey’s legal framework is analysed and future steps are discussed. The findings show that Turkey’s lack of political willingness to implement and expand the existing legal infrastructure generates potential hindrance to EU relations.

Keywords

Turkey, Istanbul Convention, European Union, Violence against women, Women’s Rights

İSTANBUL SÖZLEŞMESİ’NİN AVRUPA BİRLİĞİ TARAFINDAN ONAYLANMASI VE ADAY DEVLETLER ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ: TÜRKİYE ÖRNEĞİ

Abstract

Bu araştırma, Avrupa Birliği'nin yakın zamanda onaylamış olduğu Kadına Yönelik Şiddet ve Aile İçi Şiddetin Önlenmesi ve Bunlarla Mücadeleye Dair Sözleşmesi’nin (İstanbul Sözleşmesi) onaylama süreç ve sonuçlarını incelemektedir. Kadına yönelik şiddet dünya çapında önemli bir sorun olmaya devam etmektedir. İstanbul Sözleşmesi'nin Haziran 2023’te Avrupa Birliği tarafından onaylanması ve Birliğin toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddeti durdurmaya yönelik eylemlerde bulunma taahhüdü ile bu konu Avrupa ve çevresindeki coğrafyalarda giderek daha fazla ilgi görmeye başlamıştır. AB açısından onaylama sürecindeki engeller incelendiğinde, onaylamanın Birlik açısından ilerici bir hamle olduğu ve bu nedenle, özellikle Sözleşmeyi onaylamayan Üye Devletlerin yükümlülüklerinin tartışılmasının gerekli olduğu söylenebilir. Toplumsal cinsiyete dayalı şiddet konusunda tarihsel olarak tartışmalı bir ülke olan Türkiye, 2021’de İstanbul Sözleşmesi'nden çekilmesiyle uluslararası ve ulusal düzeyde büyük bir üne kavuşmuştu. Yakın zamanda Türkiye ile iletişimin yeniden canlanması ve AB’nin Türkiye'nin aday statüsü yeniden onaylanması ile, Türkiye’nin İstanbul Sözleşmesi'ne göre yükümlülüklerini yerine getirmedeki durumunun incelenmesi zorunludur. Sonuç olarak Türkiye’nin yasal çerçevesi incelenmekte ve geleceğe yönelik adımları tartışılmaktadır. Araştırmanın bulguları, Türkiye’nin mevcut hukuki altyapıyı uygulama ve genişletme konusunda siyasi isteksizliğinin AB ilişkilerine potansiyel engel oluşturduğunu gösteriyor.

Keywords

Türkiye, İstanbul Sözleşmesi, Avrupa Birliği, Kadına karşı şiddet, Kadın hakları

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