Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdağ wrote on his Twitter account that the draft law allowing provincial and local muftis conduct marriages in Turkey will ease formal marriages and protect women in society. “This revision is not against the principle of secularism, in contrary, it is a necessity in secularism,” he wrote.
Bozdağ also suggested that the authorization of muftis to conduct marriages will only encourage and boost formal marriages. The deputy prime minister said that the draft would not force people to apply to muftis to formally marry and this should be seen as “an additional option”.
According to a recent draft law on civil registration services, provincial and local muftis will be granted the authority to conduct marriages. Under its current laws, even religiously observant couples must be married by a state registrar from the local municipality and not an Islamic cleric.
The draft has drawn outrage from opposition voices, which say it as is another blow to secularism in Turkey.
TKP: ‘AKP PURPOSES SHARIA’
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 TKP demands the motion be withdrawn immediately.
