turkish govt to criminalise adultery

... the planned overhaul of the turkish penal code includes a major turnaround

Published on September 5, 2004 By mignuna In Current Events

From a report filed in Istanbul, Turkey, by Reuters:

Turkey's government wants to make adultery a crime, the justice minister was quoted as saying Monday, a proposal that has outraged the main opposition and women's groups. Athough the legislation would also apply to men, a previous adultery law abolished six years ago was used mainly against women.

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), which traces its roots to a banned Islamist movement, wants to include the adultery ban in a planned overhaul of Turkish penal code, promised as part of reforms aimed at meeting European Union criteria.

The penal code's other reforms aim primarily to expand rights to meet the European Union's basic criteria for membership.The main opposition party has threatened to vote against the entire penal code reform if the clause on adultery is included in the bill and brought to parliament.

"We believe that adultery should be a crime, because society also expects this," Justice Minister Cemil Cicek was quoted as saying by newspapers. Turkey's top court struck down a law penalizing adultery in 1998, saying that the law had been mainly used against women, leading to gender inequality.

Although Muslim Turkey has enshrined equality for women, rights groups say discrimination against women remains endemic. The European Union is expected to criticize the lack of equality for women in Turkey in a progress report on the country's candidacy due in October, diplomats have said.

Turkey is hoping a swath of recent rights reforms will convince Brussels to set a date to begin accession talks next year.

Other proposed changes include ending reductions in sentences for those convicted of so-called honor killings, longer prison terms for police found guilty of torture and new penalties for those convicted of racism and other forms of discrimination.

Original article: Link

Comments

kingbee

on Sep 05, 2004

reductions in sentences for those convicted of so-called honor killings

honor killing=killing a woman who dishonors her family by associating with men to whom she isnt related. turkey's previous adultery laws punished women for a single incident while men were only liable for having extended affairs.

Castle

on Sep 05, 2004

It's interesting how we humans always seem to gravitate to the extreme. Turkey is attempting to criminalize adultry, which I assume would carry rather harsh penalties, and in many areas of the US there is no stigma attached at all........in fact it's glorified.

Muggaz

on Sep 06, 2004

I guess there is a positive to come out of this, the Turks will think twice before cheating on their spouses, whether they are men or woman!!!

BAM!!!

Solitair

on Sep 06, 2004

It will be interesting to see what level of offense they intend to make adultery. In general I have no problem with the concept. If a couple get married they are signing a contract to be faithful to each other. Breaking that contract should carry penalties. The question is how severe. it's also improtant that single men and women have the freedom to do what they like relationship wise. Only marriages should be affected by such a law.

paul.

kingbee

on Sep 06, 2004

The question is how severe.

under the previous law, the sentence was 6 years. i believe the proposal calls for a 3 year sentence. previously only women were convicted.

women are protesting the law because of turkey's history in using the previous law as an islamist weapon against women. long before they worry about criminalizing adultery, one would hope the turkish government might put its power to better use protecting women from being forced to undergo 'virginity' exams.

Solitair

on Sep 06, 2004

It's interesting to note that once (or if) Turkey joins the EU these issues become moot as any Turkisk women can challenge Turkish laws in the European courts of justice for being discriminatory.

Doesn't remove the onus on Turkey to remove descrimination, but does show that things are looking better.

Paul.

mignuna

on Sep 06, 2004

turkey's previous adultery laws punished women for a single incident while men were only liable for having extended affairs.

exactly, kingbee. the laws themselves were used as as in instrument of gender inequality, so they were repealed in 1998.

It's interesting how we humans always seem to gravitate to the extreme.

good point, zobelisk. this is much more a moral issue than legal one.

I guess there is a positive to come out of this, the Turks will think twice before cheating on their spouses, whether they are men or woman!!!

true, muggy. if there can be a positive, i guess this is it !.

under the previous law, the sentence was 6 years. i believe the proposal calls for a 3 year sentence. previously only women were convicted.

true, kingbee. thanks for adding this.

women are protesting the law because of turkey's history in using the previous law as an islamist weapon against women

exactly, kingbee, in that the law was in place, but it was rarely exercised against males.

It's interesting to note that once (or if) Turkey joins the EU these issues become moot as any Turkisk women can challenge Turkish laws in the European courts of justice for being discriminatory.

indeed, paul. particularly as turkey has stated these 'reforms' are part of an attempt to more closely reflect the aims of the EU.

thanks for the comments

.

vanessa/mig XX

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