MORE than 230 people were arrested overnight house raids across Turkey today for taking part in women’s rights protests.

Thousands of women attempted to march in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities on Monday evening as part of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Dozens of people were arrested at the rally in Istanbul as demonstrators attempted to enter the popular street of Istiklal in Taksim, where the Gezi Park uprisings took place in 2013.

Authorities had put up barriers to stop protesters from entering and nearby train stations were closed.

The protest was focused on the decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to withdrew Turkey from a landmark European agreement to protect women from violence, the Istanbul Convention, in 2021.

Earlier in the day, Mr Erdogan had dismissed calls for Turkey to return to the convention, claiming his government was committed to protecting women.

More than 400 women have been murdered across Turkey this year, according to local advocacy group We Will Stop Femicide.

Among those arrested in house raids were journalists, trade unionists and opposition politicians.