Turkey needs to ensure gender equality: EU

STRASBOURG

EU candidate Turkey needs to attain gender equality before it can enter the 27-nation bloc, according to a recent report from a Dutch European Parliament member of Turkish origin.

“Women’s rights should be central to negotiations for Turkey’s accession to the EU,” Emine Bozkurt said as she presented her report to the Parliament.

The report recommended that the Turkish government include a series of measures in its new constitution, such as compulsory female quotas for electoral lists.

“The European Parliament calls on the Turkish government to take more effective action in combating honor killings in the form of legislative, legal and financial measures,” said the report.

The report said that in order to guarantee the participation of girls in compulsory primary education and to prevent them from being deprived of the chance to study or being forced into early marriages, it is crucial that all of the formal compulsory primary education system consist of a block that cannot be replaced by open learning or distance education.It also said the European Parliament was concerned about a recent legislative proposal which increases compulsory education from eight to 12 years but also aims to introduce the possibility to opt for open learning alternatives after the first four years of primary education.