* Photo: Ekmek ve Gül website / "No to child abuse"
Click to read the article in Turkish
The Union of Turkish Bar Associations and 76 bar associations across Turkey have released a joint statement and denounced the bill foreseeing reduced prison terms for sexual abuse and assault convicts as part of recent efforts to reduce prison population amid #coronavirus pandemic.
The draft bill prepared by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) within the scope of the third judicial reform package has also drawn criticism for not including political prisoners.
'We don't approve this amendment'
Addressing the Parliament, the bar associations say:
"As the Union of Turkish Bar Associations and Bars, which have been struggling for years to prevent violations of children's rights, we are following the works on amending the legislation on criminal execution with alarm.
"We do not approve it if the related amendment foresees reduced prison terms for the perpetrators of sexual abuse of children, the offenses of wilful injury against the lineal kins, spouses, siblings and those who are not in a physical or mental state to defend themselves and the offenses of injury aggravated by their consequences.
'Political parties must also take action'
"We know that such an amendment will cause public outrage in all segments of the society. As the issue is directly related with children and women subjected to violence, we consider it necessary to remind all MPs and political parties before it is too late. While there has been a marked increase in the number of convictions for these offenses over the years, including these offenses in an amendment foreseeing reduced prison sentences will harm the deterrence of sentences.
"We think that even having a debate on an amendment like this while our country is waging an all-out struggle against the virus outbreak will divide the society. We would like you to know that all actions that will lead to such a division must be diligently avoided.
"We would like to remind you that such an amendment will mean an irreparable injustice for all victims and it will inflict a great harm to their legal security as well as their faith in the law.
"We, as the defenders of children's and women's rights, do not want the ones who inflicted violence on the child and woman and who sexually abused children and women to walk freely among us. We know that the widest segments of the society do not want it, either. We respectfully bring it to the attention of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey and to the public."
The undersigned bar associations and their chairs1. Union of Turkish Bar Associations Chair Prof. Dr. Metin FEYZİOĞLU 2. Adana Bar Association Chair Lawyer Veli KÜÇÜK 3. Adıyaman Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mustafa KÖROĞLU 4. Afyonkarahisar Bar Association Chair Lawyer Turgay ŞAHİN 5. Ağrı Bar Association Chair Lawyer Salih AYDIN 6. Aksaray Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ramazan Erhan TOPRAK 7. Amasya Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ahmet Melik DERİNDERE 8. Ankara Bar Association Chair Lawyer R.Erinç SAĞKAN 9. Antalya Bar Association Chair Lawyer Polat BALKAN 10. Ardahan Bar Association Chair Lawyer Osman Nuri YILDIZ 11. Artvin Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ali Uğur ÇAĞAL 12. Aydın Bar Association Chair Lawyer Gökhan BOZKURT 13. Balıkesir Bar Association Chair Lawyer Erol KAYABAY 14. Bartın Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ferhat PARLATIR 15. Batman Bar Association Chair Lawyer Abdülhamit ÇAKAN 16. Bilecik Bar Association Chair Lawyer Halime AYNUR 17. Bingöl Bar Association Chair Lawyer Hanifi BUDANCAMANAK 18. Bitlis Bar Association Chair Lawyer Fuat ÖZGÜL 19. Bolu Bar Association Chair Lawyer Sabri ERHENDEKÇİ 20. Burdur Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ramazan GEDİK 21. Bursa Bar Association Chair Lawyer Gürkan ALTUN 22. Çanakkale Bar Association Chair Lawyer Bülent ŞARLAN 23. Çankırı Bar Association Chair Lawyer Erkan KÖROĞLU 24. Çorum Bar Association Chair Lawyer Kenan YAŞAR 25. Denizli Bar Association Chair Lawyer Müjdat İLHAN 26. Düzce Bar Association Chair Lawyer Azade AY 27. Edirne Bar Association Chair Lawyer Alper PINAR 28. Erzincan Bar Association Chair Lawyer Adem AKTÜRK 29. Elazığ Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mustafa YENTÜR 30. Erzurum Bar Association Chair Lawyer Talat GÖĞEBAKAN 31. Eskişehir Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mustafa ELAGÖZ 32. Gaziantep Bar Association Chair Lawyer Bektaş ŞARKLI 33. Giresun Bar Association Chair Lawyer Soner KARADEMİR 34. Gümüşhane-Bayburt Bölge Bar Association Chair Lawyer Serkan PEKMEZCİ 35. Hakkari Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ergün CANAN 36. Hatay Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ekrem DÖNMEZ 37. Iğdır Bar Association Chair Lawyer Serkan ALAKAN 38. Isparta Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ünsal ÇANKAYA 39. İstanbul Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mehmet DURAKOĞLU 40. İzmir Bar Association Chair Lawyer Özkan YÜCEL 41. Kahramanmaraş Bar Association Chair Lawyer Muhammed Burak GÜL 42. Karabük Bar Association Chair Lawyer Rıdvan ERDOĞAN 43. Karaman Bar Association Chair Lawyer Oktay YILMAZ 44. Kars Bar Association Chair Lawyer İbrahim BAŞTİMAR 45. Kastamonu Bar Association Chair Lawyer Özgür DEMİR 46. Kayseri Bar Association Chair Lawyer Cavit DURSUN 47. Kırıkkale Bar Association Chair Lawyer Talat APAYDIN 48. Kırklareli Bar Association Chair Lawyer Turgay HINIZ 49. Kırşehir Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mehtap TUZCU 50. Kilis Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mehmet TAŞÇI 51. Kocaeli Bar Association Chair Lawyer Bahar GÜLTEKİN CANDEMİR 52. Konya Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mustafa ALADAĞ 53. Kütahya Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ahmet ATAM 54. Malatya Bar Association Chair Lawyer Enver HAN 55. Manisa Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ali ARSLAN 56. Mardin Bar Association Chair Lawyer İsmail ELİK 57. Mersin Bar Association Chair Lawyer Bilgin YEŞİLBOĞAZ 58. Muğla Bar Association Chair Lawyer Cumhur UZUN 59. Muş Bar Association Chair Lawyer Feridun TAŞ 60. Nevşehir Bar Association Chair Lawyer Necmi ÖNCÜL 61. Niğde Bar Association Chair Lawyer Osman ÇİMEN 62. Ordu Bar Association Chair Lawyer Haluk Murat POYRAZ 63. Osmaniye Bar Association Chair Lawyer Halil YAVUZDOĞAN 64. Rize Bar Association Chair Lawyer Ümit PEÇE 65. Sakarya Bar Association Chair Lawyer Abdurrahim BURAK 66. Samsun Bar Association Chair Lawyer Kerami GÜRBÜZ 67. Siirt Bar Association Chair Lawyer Nizam DİLEK 68. Sinop Bar Association Chair Lawyer Hicran KANDEMİR 69. Sivas Bar Association Chair Lawyer Hacı Yılmaz DEMİR 70. Şanlıurfa Bar Association Chair Lawyer Abdullah ÖNCEL 71. Şırnak Bar Association Chair Lawyer Nuşirevan ELÇİ 72. Tekirdağ Bar Association Chair Lawyer Sedat TEKNECİ 73. Tokat Bar Association Chair Lawyer Melih YARDIMCI 74. Trabzon Bar Association Chair Lawyer Sibel SUİÇMEZ 75. Tunceli Bar Association Chair Lawyer Kenan ÇETİN 76. Uşak Bar Association Chair Lawyer Emin COŞKUN 77. Yalova Bar Association Chair Lawyer Fedayi DOĞRUYOL 78. Yozgat Bar Association Chair Lawyer Mehmet ŞİMŞEK 79. Zonguldak Bar Association Chair Lawyer Özel EROĞLU |
(EMK/SD)
