Gov’t will not accept child abuse, President Erdoğan says

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said early child marriage and allegations of child abuse is not possible to accept for them and accused the opposition parties for ignoring the government’s intervention into a recent claim by a woman that she was married off at the age of six, a case which sparked debate in Turkish society.

“It is never possible for us to accept a situation such as engagement at the age of 13 and marriage at the age of 14. The allegations of abuse, especially at younger ages, are a complete disaster,” President Erdoğan said at a press conference after the cabinet meeting on Dec. 12.

The government institutions have embraced this issue since the victim applied to the Family and Social Services Ministry, after the investigation carried out by the Interior Ministry, the matter was referred to the judiciary, Erdoğan said.

At this stage, the Family and Social Services Ministry provided a lawyer for the victim and continued to follow the legal process closely, while Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office has prepared its indictment by investigating the allegations with all their dimensions and documents and the first hearing on the case is expected soon, he added.

“The issue came to the public’s agenda after all these processes, in other words, all of our ministries and institutions followed the process meticulously and fulfilled all necessary rights until the issue was covered in the media,” he said, noting that past omissions and deficiencies were also addressed within the scope of the investigation, and necessary steps were taken.

“We do not make anyone question our sensitivity on issues such as harassment, rape, and marriage before reaching the age of majority. The most important legal and de facto reforms related to this issue in Türkiye were implemented during our governments,” Erdoğan stated.

The revelation of a woman’s allegations that she had been forced to marry a 29-year-old man at the age of six rattled Türkiye.

The main opposition leader accompanied by his parliamentary group protested the Justice Ministry for not taking legal action over the child bride case. Republican People’s Party (CHP) Chairman Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu and his deputies walked from the Parliament to the Justice Ministry early on Dec. 12 to protest the inaction of the relevant state bodies on the issue.