Cancellation regarding the Istanbul Convention

News:

During the Central Executive Board and provincial chairmen meetings which were headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, the Istanbul Convention, which is being discussed in public, was brought to agenda. Erdogan instructed his staff, “Study and review it. Abolish it if the people demand it. If the people's demand is in the direction of abolishment, a decision should be made accordingly. We have to do, whatever the people want”. (sputniknews July 3, 2020)

Comment:

The corrupt contract, known worldwide as CEDAW but marketed in the Islamic world under the heading “Prevention of violence against women” and called the “Istanbul Convention” in Turkey, was opened for signature on May 11, 2011 in Istanbul and Turkey was the first country that had approved the contract on March 12, 2012. It is well known that Hizb ut Tahrir is conducting a number of activities in various countries, especially in the Islamic countries, about this corrupt contract and its content.

In these days we are going through, especially after the decision taken by Erdogan on the re-opening of Hagia Sophia for worship, the Istanbul Convention also took its place mainly on the agenda. As a matter of fact, “it was revealed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, at the AK Party Central Executive Board meeting on July 15, 2020, which lasted about five hours, ordered to work on the results of the unilateral termination of the Istanbul Convention, which is accepted as an international reference text in the fight against violence against women and was first signed by Turkey, or making a reservation to controversial articles.” (milliyet.com.tr). We can make the following evaluations about the developments in connection with the subject:

Hizb ut Tahrir / Wilayah Turkey started a wide campaign on this matter in 2019 and this work has enjoyed credit before Muslim circles. Before such a work was initiated by Hizb ut Tahrir, this issue was talked about in Islamic circles operating in Turkey at almost non-existent levels, without targeting or hurting the government and like a whisper so to speak. As a result of the fact that the youth of Hizb brought this issue to agenda with open and clear statements, held conferences in 26 different regions throughout Turkey until the Covid-19 restrictions and met a lot of circles of the society face to face, it is being talked about loudly, brought forward and increased criticism on politicians. As a matter of fact, “President Erdogan said that he has ordered a study on this subject by taking into consideration the criticism regarding the Istanbul Convention, which destroys the Turkish family structure on the pretext of stopping the violence against women.” (yeniakit.com.tr, 19/02/2020)

As it can be seen in Erdogan’s statements in the news above, it is hard for politicians to set the position taken up by the society aside. For this reason, activities of molding public opinion on Islamic solutions by Muslims, wherever they may be, is highly important.

Especially, the use of social media opportunities today, has a serious impact on politicians. Also the fact that after the decision of re-opening Hagia Sophia for worship, people have started to talk about Khilafah (Caliphate) on television in today’s Turkey, is an important signal in this case. In other words, Hizb’s works for molding public opinion have shown their effect. The Twitter campaign carried out by Hizb upon the fact that LGBT used ugly remarks against the Messenger of Allah (saw) in the past few days, gained also a big support by Muslims throughout Turkey.

However, will the corrupt contract completely be abolished or will there be some amendments to the content within the framework of President Erdogan’s instructions? This issue is not clear at this time. Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu, who gave technical information about the abolishment of the corrupt contract during the Central Executive Board meeting which was held on July 13 and lasted five hours, said “It is stated that the provisions with respect to the agreement shall be carried out by the Council of Ministers. Today, since the authority of the Council of Ministers has passed to the President, it may be possible to withdraw from the contract by presidential decree”. In other words, according to Cavusoglu’s statement, the decision to withdraw from the corrupt contract is a decision which is completely in the hands of Erdogan, as it was the case in the decision of turning Hagia Sophia into a mosque again. He can easily withdraw from the contract whenever he wants. As a matter of fact, Bulgaria, Croatia and Hungary have withdrawn from the contract.

On the other hand, during the Central Executive Board meeting, “some people like the Minister of Family Zehra Zumrut Selcuk and AK Party Group Deputy Chairman Mehmet Mus argued that it would be bad to withdraw from the contract.” Numan Kurtulmus, who has tried to please Islamic circles regarding the convention and stated “as we have duly signed it, then we shall withdraw from it’”, said during the Central Executive Board meeting; “There are two issues in this convention which we do not approve of. First is the gender issue and the other is sexual orientation issue. There are also other issues but these two have been the concepts which have played into the hands of LGBT and marginal elements. They have taken refuge behind these concepts”. AKP group deputy chairman Ozlem Zengin and CSO members belonging to the same community like KADEM also oppose withdrawal from the convention.

It should never be forgotten that this corrupt convention is not only faulty in terms of gender and sexual orientation. It is un-Islamic from its first to its last sentence, including its dots and commas. Therefore, all Muslims should look at the issue in this way. The problem would not be solved by only changing some articles in it. Because by this corrupt convention which imposes the obligation of incorporating the gender equality principle into domestic legislation including the constitution and ensuring its implementation, the fact that in no circumstances, including “sexual orientation”, discrimination could be done, is ruled. Therefore, change does not only happen with the complete or partial abolishment of this corrupt convention. On the contrary, it can only be realized through abolishing them all - from the constitution to the laws in force, all agreements and alliances with the Western World - and through the comprehensive implementation of all rules of Islam. These days are near with the permission of Allah.

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by
Muhammed Hanefi Yağmur