Istanbul - Turkish women's organizations on Wednesday enthusiastically welcomed a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that demands the state provide better protection from domestic abuse. "It's a landmark decision that does not only apply to Turkey," said Pinar Ilkkaracan, founder of WWHR, a Turkish organization that promotes human rights for women, speaking in Istanbul.
She called on the Turkish administration to provide better protection for women, including training for police and judges for dealing with cases of domestic abuse. Additionally, she said police need detailed policies for dealing with domestic abuse.
"We hope that this judgment is a lesson for those in power," Hulya Gulbahar, founder of the KA-DER women's group, was cited as saying.
She added that the verdict makes it clear that the state is responsible for protecting its citizens. She demanded more money for the protection of women.
The Strasbourg-based court rendered its verdict on Tuesday. It applies to all members of the Council of Europe.
The verdict requires Turkey to pay 30,000 euros (42,325 dollars) to a woman whose ex-husband shot her mother to death in 2002. It was the first time judges recognized violence against women as a violation of the discrimination clause in the Human Rights Convention.
According to the verdict, local officials had not provided the two women with sufficient protection from the ex-husband. The man was found guilty of murder in 2008 and sentenced to life in prison, but was released from prison pending an appeal.
