Minister calls to end domestic violence law

KİLİS - Anatolia News Agency

Minister Şahin says state institutions should work together to end violence. AA photo

Minister of Family and Social Policies Fatma Şahin has said government institutions should be more careful and thorough when enforcing a new law designed to protect women and prevent domestic violence.

“On Women’s Day, March 8, we passed a law that gives more authority to law enforcement officers, judges and prosecutors. Before the law was enacted, these institutions complained that they did not have enough authority. The power that has been given to these institutions should be used carefully. If we are going to fight this issue, we should do it all together,” Şahin said when asked about preventing domestic violence at a press conference following her meeting with the governor of Kilis province in southeastern Turkey yesterday. Şahin added that her ministry itself was also given more authority, and it bears a major responsibility.

When asked whether there has been an increase in the number of women murdered, Şahin said such incidents were not spoken about openly before. “Before now, we were a much more closed society, and such incidents were kept hidden. We did not see or speak or hear. Now domestic violence cases are spoken about much more openly,” she said.

Şahin also recalled a statement from Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in 2008, in which he said violence against women is a social problem and should be prevented. “This will require a major transformation. It can’t happen in just one day. We need to take all the necessary measures,” she said.