When President Recep Tayyip Erdogan issued a decree in March, 2020 which annulled Turkey's ratification of the Istanbul Convention on violence against women, women poured on to the streets of Turkish cities in protest. One year later, activits continued to demonstrate against Erdogan's policy, which lawyers and political opponents publicly denouncing Mr. Erdogan's decree, insisting that he cannot legally take Turkey out of an international convention ratified by parliament.

The Istanbul Convention is a legally-binding treaty framed by the Council of Europe, covering domestic violence and seeking...