- Title: Turkish ruling party sparks uproar with sexual abuse bill
- Date: 18th November 2016
- Summary: ANKARA, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 18, 2016) (REUTERS) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER BINALI YILDIRIM WAVING AT PEOPLE BEFORE ANSWERING REPORTERS' QUESTIONS CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) TURKISH PRIME MINISTER, BINALI YILDIRIM, SAYING: "There are those who got married underage. They don't know the law, then they have kids, the father goes to jail and the children are alone with their mother. We located 3,000 families like this. This is a law to eliminate this victimisation for just one time." ISTANBUL, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 18, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEDESTRIANS STROLLING IN ISTIKLAL STREET VARIOUS OF MEMBERS OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ISTANBUL BAR ASSOCIATION, AYDENIZ ALISBAH TUSKAN, READING A DOCUMENT (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) MEMBER OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ISTANBUL BAR ASSOCIATION, AYDENIZ ALISBAH TUSKAN, SAYING: "This will legitimise underage marriages. To justify this issue is so wrong." TUSKAN HOLDING PAPER (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF ISTANBUL BAR ASSOCIATION, AYDENIZ ALISBAH TUSKAN, SAYING: "The state has to protect the child. If the state has to protect the child, it will be a big contradiction to pardon their rapist." TRAM MOVING ALONG ISTIKLAL STREET VARIOUS OF PEDESTRIANS STROLLING IN ISTIKLAL STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, ASLI ZEYNEP, SAYING: "Even to touch someone without any consent is a crime, I can't make any more comment on this issue. This makes me sick." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, ELIF CELIKTAS, SAYING: "I am very scared about the future. Because if we continue along this path, women will live under very heavy conditions. Even this will end up with prison. I mean if a woman is married with her rapist, she could kill him." (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) ISTANBUL RESIDENT, ENGIN OZTURK, SAYING: "I think lawmakers who pass this law will get too many reactions from every part of society, because society thinks those people (rape convicts) can't be rehabilitated. I think those people will commit (rape) again and will return to prison." ISTANBUL, TURKEY (NOVEMBER 18, 2016) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WOMEN PROTESTING SEXUAL ABUSE BILL
- Embargoed: 3rd December 2016 16:28
- Keywords: Turkey law sex offender sentence charges Binali Yildirim Ankara Istanbul
- Location: ANKARA / ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- City: ANKARA / ISTANBUL, TURKEY
- Country: Turkey
- Topics: Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00258Z396V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Turkey's ruling AK Party came under fire from the opposition, rights groups and on social media on Friday (November 18) over a proposal that critics said could allow men accused of abusing underage girls to avoid punishment if they marry their victims.
The proposal, a copy of which was seen by Reuters, would allow sentencing in cases of sexual abuse committed "without force, threat or trick" before Nov. 16, 2016 to be indefinitely postponed if the perpetrator marries the victim.
Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the aim of the proposal was to remedy the situation of men who are in jail and are married to women under the age of 18 through religious ceremony and with the consent of their family. He rejected suggestions that the plan amounted to an "amnesty" for rape.
Marrying under the age of 18 is illegal in Turkey, but marriage between men and underage girls through religious ceremonies is not uncommon, particularly in rural parts of the Sunni Muslim nation of 78 million people. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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