Abstract
This study deals with the attitudes of conservative women in Turkey towards sexist approaches, in the scope of the Istanbul Convention. In this study, the dissidence and consensus among conservative journalists, and the position of the Istanbul Convention through the Turkish people's eyes were discussed. Because the convention was held in Istanbul, it got this name. This convention, whose purpose was to prevent domestic violence, has both advocates and opponents in the conservative community. This situation seems to have led to polarization. Opposing the convention is described as pro-violence by some defenders. Likewise, conservatives who defend the convention are seen as LGBT advocates by some of those who oppose the convention. Both parties have their own reasons. A western origin treaty's entry into force in Turkey, which is mostly composed of Muslim Turkish individuals, has been one of the issues discussed. It has been criticized for the rules of a completely different society in terms of religion, tradition, and culture do not comply with Turkish civilization and family structure. One of the movements that have been criticized is feminism. Islamic feminism, as a fraction of the feminist movement, emerged in Turkey as well as in other Islamic countries and it was criticized by some sections of society. It has been argued by the critics that the Istanbul Convention was also written from a feminist point of view and that the treaty was not objective. In fact, it is seen that Turkish society, and especially Islam, gives a special value to women. However, feminism is criticized for adopting hateful attitudes towards the opposite sex rather than valuing women. In this context, the convention is criticized for both being religiously and culturally inappropriate for this society and for displaying a sexist attitude. On the other hand, the advocates of the Convention believe that the femicides, which have increased recently, will come to an end by this means. They say that it will protect women like armor and that its abolition is a big mistake. For them, the Istanbul Convention is the biggest barrier against violence against women. However, the opponents of the convention oppose this view by pointing to the increasing number of femicides during the term the treaty was in effect. Examining it through the eyes of women will also reveal whether it has completed its duty under the purpose of the convention. Particularly, the opinions of women in the conservative community about this contract are very important. Even among women with the same religious and cultural values, there were both those who supported the treaty and who defended abolishing it. It is very important to determine the point where these differences of opinion stem from. The aim of our study is to explain the reasons for the differences of opinion, especially in the conservative community, in the context of the Istanbul Convention. Therefore, in our study, only the columns, interviews, etc. of conservative female journalists are used, analyzed, and addressed. Our study was prepared by using discourse analysis, one of the techniques in the qualitative approach. Discussion includes the views of 7 conservative female journalists who defend the convention and 7 conservative female journalists opposing it and their reasons for defending or opposition. Columns that are written by women, who are known for their conservative identity, or the interviews they conducted, were also read and analyzed. Particularly, an explanation was sought for the reasons of the discussion by referring to the most controversial articles of the treaty. It is seen that conservative women oppose some concepts in the Istanbul Convention. Likewise, the supporters of the convention defend these statements according to their own opinions. As a result, it is seen that there is a large degree of polarization between the two sides. Even though the Convention has been repealed, it is seen that the existence of this polarization in society continues