Turkish court upholds exit from treaty protecting women

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — A top administrative court has ruled that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s decision to pull Turkey out of a key European treaty protecting women from violence was lawful. The court rejected petitions seeking its cancellation. Erdogan withdrew Turkey for the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention last year. The move prompted condemnation from women’s rights groups and Western countries. The landmark convention was signed in Istanbul in 2011. The state-run Anadolu Agency said the court’s judges on Tuesday ruled by a majority decision to reject petitions that pulling out of the treaty through a presidential decree was unlawful. The opposition vowed a return to the convention.