A Turkish court on Tuesday fined soL columnist Orhan Gökdemir for calling Islamic preacher Nurettin Yıldız a paedophile, who had stated that 6-year-old children could marry.
In his column on May 21, 2016, Gökdemir had slammed reactionary ideas that had been proliferating under AKP governments, and passed to Nurettin Yıldız, a prominent defender of 'child marriage': "…the paedophile who finds it permissible for 5-6 year-olds to get married…"
Gökdemir will pay 2.900 Turkish lira (approximately $760) for calling Yıldız a paedophile.
"We have presented the court with every kind of scientific data. We have explained what medical science perceives as to paedophilia. However, the discussion during the trial was about a book the fellows received from the 6th century. They said that the Holy Book [the Quran] does not involve any age limits on this issue, and it says anyone at any age can get married with a child at any age," Gökdemir said after the decision.
Emphasizing that this issue is not limited with himself and soL News Portal, Gökdemir stated that child sexual abuse by marriage is a position of resistance for the people, and that "either those perverts who claim that little children can be married, or we will prevent this with a harsh response."
