Bülent Turan, deputy parliamentary group leader of the Turkey's ruling AKP party suggested that the regulation legalizing child marriage would eliminate "victimization”.
In his tweet, Turan defended that “Claims that rape is legitimized are totally baseless. There is a law that raises rape and child abuse punishments. Meanwhile, some victimization is being eliminated”. Turan also shared a news in order to justify his tweet, which tells the story of a child bride married in 15-years, her husband was arrested on the charges of qualified sexual abuse.
Another defense came from Islamist writer Vahdettin İnce, a candidate for Van MP from the AKP. Participating a TV show, İnce argued that the marriage of girls who enter puberty is permissible in Islam and this cannot be called as child abuse or pedophilia if you are not against Islam.
In the Tv program, Nurhayat Altaca Kayışoğlu, MP of main opposition party reacted to Ince's defense of child abuse. Then, Ince said to Kayışoğlu, “You go against Islam. It is a reproach for you.”
