‘Banning abortion out of question’

STRASBOURG - Anatolia News Agency

Banning abortion completely is out of the question, according to Family and Social Policies Minister Fatma Şahin.

Speaking at the Turkey-EU Commission in Strasbourg, Şahin said the government had formed a commission to work on the issue.

“Abortion is not a method of family planning, and we are working on a campaign that will promote other methods,” Şahin said, adding that they were investigating healthy reproduction methods around the world.

“Why does a woman want an abortion? Either she has a problem with herself or with the baby, or her environment and economic conditions are not suitable for a birth. In such situations, banning abortion cannot be considered. We are working to find what to do in these situations,” she said.

Previously, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) had voiced support for the delivery of unwanted babies conceived as a result of rape. “Certainly, we will not abandon such children, and the state will take care of them. But this is not a final decision. There will be a public debate, and we will have discussions with experts and scientists,” Health Minister Recep Akdağ had told reporters in the capital, Ankara.