Turkish court order new identity, face for woman threatened by ex-boyfriend

İZMİR – Doğan News Agency

A local court in İzmir has ruled that the state should provide all support for a young woman who was repeatedly exposed to violence by her ex-boyfriend, including a new identity, school, address and even a face via plastic surgery.

Prosecutors ordered a restraining order against the man, but the move failed to stop his advances. The 20-year-old university student had filed a lawsuit against her ex-boyfriend who used violence, pressure, threats and insults against her.

Unable to stop the violence, the woman’s lawyer, Mehmet Harun Elçi, said they had demanded a change of identity from the Family Court in reference to the law on protecting the family and preventing violence against woman. The court rejected the demand, prompting an appeal at a higher court.

The second court approved the demand and said the woman would be able to change her face via plastic surgery, the university she is attending, her address and identity. The expenses for the alterations will be covered by the state, the court concluded.

Elçi said the ruling was unprecedented, noting that the closest another court came to permitting such a change in identity was when one woman was permitted to change her name for six months.

The lawyer said his client was happy to have a new life without having threats but that she was disappointed that she had to change her physical identity.

“In fact, the measures should be taken to stop the man’s violence. But this did not happen. This is why my client took such a decision. Of course, she is happy that she will leave that stressful life behind. But she is upset that she has to change her physical appearance,” said Elçi.