Ten different student clubs/groups conducting studies on women, LGBTI+ individuals and gender issues in various universities published and signed a joint statement. In the statement posted on social media under the hashtag #IstanbulSözleşmesiYaşatır, the students said; “We want the Istanbul Convention to be implemented, we embrace and defend the convention in order that the number of murdered women and LGBTI+ individuals no longer  increase and that the perpetrators are punished.”

The full text of the statement is as follows:

 “How we need another soul to cling to,” said Sylvia Plath, “how we need it…”  Every morning when we wake up and read the news of another woman’s departure, that every moment we keep silent is the moment we become partners in crime. “Did I misunderstand, that to be human is to be responsible?” said Gülten Akın. The Istanbul convention saves lives, it is a humanitarian responsibility to defend it. 

Hundreds of women and LGBTI+ individuals in our country and around the world are exposed to all kinds of violence every day by both their relatives or strangers. Our fight will continue until the violation of rights, which increase every year, is over. We know that every type of sexual, physical, psychological, economic and digital violence, as well as harassment, rape, abuse, is a violation of human rights and a crime. The most comprehensive agreement aiming to fight against these crimes is the internationally accepted Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention imposes duties on all institutions of the state to prevent violence. Universities are not exempt from this. We want a society in which gender roles are destroyed and gender equality is ensured, safety of all living beings is ensured, and where women are stronger and  freer. 

As university student societies  working on the issues of gender, LGBTI+ individuals and women, we are against all forms of violence and abuse, regardless of religion, language, race, appearance, gender identity and sexual orientation. We want the Istanbul Convention to be implemented in order to stop the increase in the number of murders of women and LGBTI+ individuals and we want the perpetrators to be sentenced. We say “ISTANBUL CONVENTION SAVES LIVES’’. We own and defend the Istanbul Convention.”

University Clubs And Societies That Published the Statement

*METU Gender Studies Club
*Hacettepe Women’s Studies Society
*Boğaziçi University LGBTI+ Studies Club
*FVM Işık University Gender Studies Club
*Istanbul University Equality Society
*Kırıkkale University Gender Equality and Women’s Rights Society
*Altınbaş University Gender Equality Advocacy Club
*Boğaziçi University Women’s Studies Club
*Maltepe University Gender Studies Club
*Istanbul University Cinema and Culture Club