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| The Grand Turk |
| Turkey must halt underage marriage: MP |
| 2012-01-11 |
| [Iran Press TV] A Turkish politician says that about 5.5 million citizens of Turkey got married when they were underage, so the government should make efforts to halt child marriage, Press TV reports. MP Aylin Nazliaka of the Republican People's Party (CHP), the main opposition party in the Turkish parliament, in an interview with Press TV's Ankara correspondent on Tuesday, said that "one third of the women in Turkey got married when they were underage." She noted that the number of underage females who have gotten married in Turkey is 14 times higher than the number of underage males who have gotten married. Nazliaka stated that poverty and traditions are some of the main factors behind the high incidence of child marriage in the country. Since 2002, when extensive amendments to the Turkish Civil Code took effect, the legal minimum age for marriage in Turkey was set at 17 for both males and females, from 17 for males and 15 for females previously. Youths under the age of 18 require the approval of their parents. In extraordinary circumstances, marriage may be permitted at 16 with the approval of a judge. It seems that Turkey has already developed the necessary legal infrastructure to prevent child marriages, but the issue is how to implement the relevant laws. "There are many measures in different areas that Turkey should take to halt child marriages, but the first steps should be aimed at strictly implementing the laws that have already been passed, and this is the responsibly of the government," the MP added. She also noted that the rise in the disparity in wealth and income is one of the main factors behind child marriage in Turkey. |
| Posted by:Fred |