Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) government introduced a draft law to the parliament. The draft provides the provincial and local Mufti offices, the religious civil servants within the body of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet), with registering civil marriages.
Previously, Turkey’s Constitutional Court announced in May 2015 that civil marriage would no longer be a legal requirement for “religiously married” citizens. Top court’s scandalous decision sparked harsh debates particularly among women in Turkey since it paved the way for more violations of women’s and children’s rights.
The AKP government prepared yet another scandalous motion on the sexual abuse of minors, a proposal that would lead the abusers to escape from punishment if they married to the victimised children. Having faced a countrywide backlash, the AKP cabinet had to withdraw this draft of law in November 2016.
Şenal Sarıhan, a lawmaker from Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), made a statement upon the recent draft law of the government with regard to religious officials’ (muftis) entitlement to register marriages: “Where does such a delegation of authority stem from? Do the municipalities and marriage officers fail to satisfy the demands? Is there any plan to prevent the children from facing a continuous sexual abuse and assault under the name of ‘religious marriage’?”
TKP: ‘AKP PURPOSES SHARIA’
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Turkey released a statement following the government’s recent notorious attempt.
Uncovering the essential intention of the Islamist AKP, TKP said: “Entitling the mufti offices to register civil marriages stands for the forced marriage of little girls, and the legalisation of rapes under the mask of the marriage of minors.”
TKP underlined that such a draft law, which could be implemented only under the rule of sharia, would legitimise religious marriages and “child brides”. TKP demands the motion be withdrawn immediately.
