US and European leaders denounced what they called Turkey's baffling and concerning decision to pull out of an international accord designed to protect women from violence, and urged President Tayyip Erdogan to reconsider.
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Erdogan's government on Saturday withdrew from the Istanbul Convention, which it signed onto in 2011 after it was forged in Turkey's biggest city. Turkey said domestic laws, not outside fixes, would protect women's rights.
The Council of Europe accord pledged to prevent, prosecute and eliminate domestic violence and promote equality. Killings of women have surged in Turkey in recent years and thousands of women protested on Saturday against the government's move in Istanbul and other cities.
The United States, Germany, France, and the European Union responded with dismay - marking the second time in four days that Europe's leaders have criticized Ankara over rights issues after a Turkish prosecutor moved to close down a pro-Kurdish political party.
US President Joe Biden said Turkey's withdrawal from the accord was "deeply disappointing" and a step backward in efforts to end violence against women globally.
