Women's rights

The improment of the situation of women and their rights are issues which are regularly repeated in the EC's comments on Turkey. According to Recommendation of the EC (p. 12) the situation of women in Turkey is still unsatisfactory; discrimination and violence against women remain a major problem.

Many women are subjected to various forms of physical and psychological violence within the family. These include sexual abuse, forced and often early marriages, unofficial religious marriages, polygamy and "honour killings". In the context of family violence, security forces often fail to investigate women's complaints. (EC 2004a, 45-46).

The principle of gender equality has been strengthened in the Civil Code and in the Constitution. Under the new Penal Code, which was adopted September 2004, perpetrators of "honor killings" are sentenced to life imprisonment and virginity tests are prohibited without a court order (EC 2004b, 12).

The new Penal Code envisages life imprisonment for crimes against life that are motivated by "traditional customs" and it is foreseen that this provision will be applied in cases of so called "honor killings" (EC 2004a, 45).

The new Code foresees a prison sentence for those ordering and conducting virginity tests in the absence of a court order. Contrary to the request of women's NGOs, the consent of the woman on whom the test is to be conducted is still not required. (EC 2004a, 45.)

Violence against women perpetrated by security officials during detention is reportedly diminishing. (EC 2004a, 45).
But according to the 2004 Regular Report on Turkey there is an increased awareness of violence against women and some pressure is being exerted to oppose it. (EC 2004a, 45.)