The Hindu : International : Protest over Turkish law

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 07, 2004

International

International

Protest over Turkish law

Athens: Turkey's devout Muslim leader, Tayyip Erdogan, has defended his Government's plans to criminalise adultery, despite protests that have shown the issue is dividing the country. Mr. Erdogan, whose AK party has its roots in political Islam, said at the weekend that outlawing marital infidelity is a vital step towards preserving the family and ``human honour''. Although Turkey aspires to join the European Union it did not have to adopt its ``imperfect'' western morals, he insisted. ``The family is a sacred institution for us. The stronger the family, the stronger the country. If the family is weakened, that country is doomed to destruction,'' the Prime Minister said in an interview with Turkey's Sabah newspaper. The proposal, which has infuriated feminists and much of the media, is likely to cloud talks in Ankara on Monday between Mr. Erdogan and the European Enlargement Commissioner, Gunter Verheugen. A similar anti-adultery law was overturned by the country's constitutional court in 1996 on the grounds that it unfairly penalised women. With Turkey under pressure to expand women's rights, the plan ``could harm [its] image,'' said an E.U. spokesman, Jean-Christophe Filori. Ankara, which has passed a flurry of pro-E.U. reforms under Mr. Erdogan, hopes to secure a start date for European accession negotiations this December. Mr. Verheugen's five-day visit is deemed crucial in ascertaining whether Ankara is ready to open membership talks. —

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