Women's human rights in Turkey

Abstract

The EU is founded on the principles of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, and the rule of law (Article 6 of the TEU). The prospect of EU membership is an incentive for candidate states, like Turkey, to focus on human rights as they prepare for their membership. Human rights are a central tenet of the Copenhagen political criteria which Turkey, like all EU candidates, must meet before it can begin accession negotiations. In this way Turkey's EU candidacy reinforces the Justice and Development Party (A.KP) government's own reform agenda The EU has been on the forefront in promoting women's human rights. The last decade has witnessed major advancements towards the realisation of women's human rights in Turkey, whereby a lot of progress has been made. The whole of Turkish society has been committed to a very far-reaching reform process, however, much more remains to be done to the situation as regards women's rights. In 1997, compulsory basic education was increased from five to eight years; 1998 saw the adoption of the law on protection orders aiming to prevent domestic violence followed by the adoption of two constitutional reforms and eight legislative reform packages in 1999, the reform of the Civil Code in 2001, and most recently the Turkish Penal Code Reform in 2004, which will have positive effects on a number of areas related to human rights, particularly women's rights, discrimination and torture. These legislative reforms were indispensable, in order for Turkey to conform to the EU acquis. Prior to these reforms, men were granted supremacy in marriage depriving women of their civil, economic and social rights, henceforth constraining women's decision-making power in the family. Furthermore, women's bodies and sexuality were regarded as commodities of men, the family and society, legitimising human rights violations liked forced marriages, marital rape, honour killings and virginity testing.