Erdoğan urges muhtars to protect women from violence

ANKARA

AA Photo

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has stated that a unit to monitor developments in cases of violence against women in Turkish society would be formed under the presidency, while charging elected village chiefs (muhtars) with the task of looking out for women subjected to violence in their constituencies.

“I am having a unit established at the presidency … We will track all the news about violence against women across Turkey. We will therefore find the possibility to intervene in issues when they are happening,” said Erdoğan, speaking at the 4th muhtars meeting at the presidential mansion on March 10.

Erdoğan tasked muhtars with the fight for victims of violence against women, as women are “a part their own family” and “entrusted to all of humanity by God.”

“Women are entrusted to all of humanity by God. This is a value beyond equality,” he said.

Erdoğan also asked for personal political support from muhtars and requested that they tell people in their local community about the “benefits of the executive presidential system.”

He said Turkey was passing through a critical period and needed to “re-structure” in accordance with its growth.

“Turkey cannot complete this transition, cannot reach its targets, if it holds onto its old habits, old laws and institutions,” Erdoğan said.

The country needs “a rooted change” and the June 7 elections could be an opportunity for this change, he said.

The debate on the executive presidential system is not new for Turkey, Erdoğan added, stating that the issue had been discussed since the days of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk – the founder of the Turkish Republic - and during the terms of former presidents Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel.

Erdoğan said he clearly underlined the need for a presidential system in Turkey during his presidential campaign last August and added that receiving 52 percent of the voters’ support was a “pre-condition” of a presidential system, denying that the presidential system is just his personal ambition.

“Today, I am expressing my demand is not an intervention in daily politics. It doesn’t mean integration with any political party,” he said, while repeating his demand for “400 deputies” to support him.