Country of origin information report Turkey December 2007

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Political Participation of Women
22.05 A Turkish Daily News article dated on 26 January 2007 ‘Turkish woman's election to gender equality chair meaningful' stated that:
“It is significant when a Turkish woman (Ankara deputy Gülsün Bilgehan) becomes head of a Council of Europe committee in charge of gender equality and women rights. She was unanimously elected on Monday head of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) committee on equal opportunities for women and men. Few committees at PACE are chaired by Turks but it is particularly meaningful that a Turkish woman was elected to chair a committee dealing with women rights, equality, honor killings, domestic violence, forced marriage and education of girls,” [23n]
22.06 The Turkish Daily news also reported on 26 January 2007 that,“Arzuhan Doğan Yalçındağ, yesterday elected chairman of the Turkish Industrialists and Businessmen's Association (TÜSİAD), is the acting CEO of Doğan TV and a Doğan Holding board member. Yalçındağ started her professional life in 1990 in Milpa, founding the company Mail Order with the German firm Quelle. Yalçındağ is one of the founders of the Aydın Doğan Foundation and remains a board member of the institution. She is also a member of the Turkish Education Volunteers Foundation (TEGV), Turkish-American Businessmen's Association, and Turkey Third Sector Foundation, as well as the founding member of the Women Entrepreneurs Association. She is currently lobbying for Turkey in the European Union member countries in her role as the founding president of the Women's Initiative for the European Union.” [23i]
22.07 The Hurriyet newspaper further reported on 15 October 2007 that, “The AKP (Justice and Development Party) is launching three new programs aimed at increasing the number of female mayors in Turkey. The programs come in response to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s request for more female participation in local government. Women account for only 18 of Turkey's 3500 mayors. Nine belong to the DTP (Democratic Society Party) and hold office in the southeast. The AKP has only two female mayors, in the Doğankent district of Giresun and the Yeşilköy district of Hatay. Songül Erol Abdil, the mayor of Tunceli, is the country's lone provincial chairwoman.” [70b]
22.08 The European Commission Turkey 2007 Progress Report published 6 November 2007, noted that, “The campaign conducted by an NGO to raise awareness about participation by women in politics and to promote female candidates in the July 2007 elections has been successful in drawing public attention to the issue. The need for more women in Parliament and the possibility to introduce quotas for this purpose was publicly debated. In the 2007 elections, almost double the number of women (51) was elected to Parliament compared with the previous Parliament.” [71d] (p18) The total number of seats in Parliament is 550. [5d](Section 3)
Social and economic rights
22.09 As noted in the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Human Rights Annual Report 2006, released in October 2006:
“The joint UNICEF and Ministry of Education campaign to increase girls’ attendance at school continued to yield positive results throughout 2005–06. The campaign, which now covers the whole of Turkey, continues to address shortages in classroom space, school materials and teacher training, and to

encourage members of the community to identify girls who are not going to school and to discuss the issue with their parents. As a result of the campaign, enrolment and attendance have dramatically increased among primary age girls.” [4n] (p138)
22.10 The EC 2006 report recorded that “The level of participation of women in the parliament and in local representative bodies remains very low and prevailing discrimination exists in the labour market. Participation by women in the workforce is among the lowest in OECD countries.” [71a] (p19)
22.11 The EC 2007 report stated that, “In general, women's participation in the labour market remains low, although women occupy some high-profile positions, women's participation in national and local elected bodies remains limited… The legal framework guaranteeing gender equality is in place. However, further efforts are needed to translate it into social reality. The gap between men and women in economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment remains significant.” [71d] (p18)
22.12 The Human Rights Watch on ‘Essential Background: overview on human rights issues on Turkey’ March 2005, noted that, “Women who wear the headscarf for religious reasons continue to be excluded from higher education, the civil service, and political life. Female lawyers who wear the headscarf are not permitted to enter courtrooms, and in July the Ankara Bar took disciplinary action against a lawyer who wore a headscarf while carrying out her duty to a client in a bailiff’s office.” [9e]
22.13 As reported in September 2005 on the website of the Kaos GL News:
“In Turkey, because of some religious and cultural facts, the education level of women is low compared to that of men. Since most women are not as educated, the number of women who have a chance to have a career is less then men. Unemployment rate is high in Turkey and men are more likely to occupy the available jobs… It is very hard for women who went through only obligatory education to find a job. They can only find under-paid jobs in metropolitan areas with almost no social security. Because only people who had a prior job can benefit from unemployment insurance, women, who mostly deal with housework or unregistered house oriented jobs, cannot access this benefit… Most women are forced to marry because of societal and economic pressure. Consequently many lesbians are forced into marriage. There has been a recent case that can give an idea of the degree of violence to which lesbians are exposed. In that case, a husband who killed his wife’s girlfriend, because of the fact that she was a lesbian, was given a diminished punishment for ‘unjust provocation’.” [96e]
Employment and Gender Equality
22.14 The European Commission 2007 report stated:
“Low participation of women in the labour market and access to education remain points of concern. Transposition of the EC Directives concerning discrimination on grounds of racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age and sexual orientation is incomplete. An effective and independent Equality Body needs to be established to promote non-discrimination and equal treatment… Overall, Turkey has made limited progress on alignment with the acquis… Gender equality should be improved in all economic and social life. In general, there is a need to increase administrative capacity for the effective implementation of the acquis.” [71d] (p54-55)
22.15 The Council of Europe (COE) report at the 6^th European Ministerial Conference on Equality between Women and Men in 2006 noted that:
“In 2002 the 2002 elections, 24 women were elected to the parliament, thus representing 4.4% of 550 members of parliament… Women’s achievements in the social and economic fields are not reflected accordingly in political sphere. Women’s representation in local government, which can be considered as an initial step in political participation, is also very low. According to the results of March 2004 local elections, 18 out of 3 225 mayors, 834 out of 34 477 members of municipality councils, and 58 out of 3 208 members of provincial general assemblies are women.” [29b]
22.16 The same COE report further stated that:
“According to the 2002 data of State Personnel Presidency, 31.9% of civil servants working under the Retirement Fund are women… There are now 12 female ambassadors and 23 female heads of civil administration (deputy governor and head of district). The rate of women within the total number of judges and public prosecutors is 18%... In 2005, one of the woman members of the Constitutional Court was elected as the President and another as the Vice President of the Court. The rate of women lawyers among all lawyers is 26%. The rate of women notary publics among all notaries is 15.5%. These data show that women’s status in Turkey is advancing in all fields of life. However, high level decision making positions are not equally shared yet.” [29b]
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Marriage
22.17 The European Commission 2007 report further noted that “As concerns women's rights, amendments have extended the Law on Protection of the Family to all individuals in the family, including family members living separately. They have also abolished all fees for applications and administrative transactions related to court proceedings. The Turkish authorities have issued circulars to governorates, judges and prosecutors, with the aim of improving services to victims of violence… (p18) They have introduced medical consultation or treatment in a health institution as a new measure that can be enforced by courts on violent family members. Further, the law stipulates that no fees will be charged for applications and execution of court decisions alleviating, thereby, the financial burden of legal proceedings for victims.” [71d] (p 62)
22.18 The USSD 2005 report noted that:
“Child marriage occurred. The legal age of marriage in the country is 18 for both boys and girls. A judge can authorise a marriage at age 17 under ‘extraordinary circumstances’; the law requires judges to consult with parents or guardians before making such a decision. However, children as young as 12 were at times married in unofficial religious ceremonies. Families sometimes engaged in ‘cradle arrangements,’ agreeing that their newborn children would marry at a later date, well before reaching the legal age. Women’s rights activists say underage marriage has become less common in the country in recent years, but is still practiced in rural, poverty-stricken regions. Activists maintained that girls who married below the legal age often had children shortly thereafter and suffered physical and psychological trauma as a result. Arranged marriages have been cited as a cause of suicides among girls, particularly in the southeast.” [5b] (Section 5)
Forced Marriages
22.19 As noted in a Country of Origin Research of the Canada Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa dated 28 September 2004 entitled Turkey: Forced marriage in Turkey; outcome when a woman refuses to marry the designated man; outcome when a woman elopes with another man; attitude of state and availability of state protection (July 2001 -September 2004), it noted that:
“Although identified as a significant step in progress towards gender equality, the revised Civil Code is not perceived as a panacea to end gender discrimination and violations of women's rights in a country where historically customs and religious practices have controlled the lives of women and have accorded male family members the rights to make decisions, including those about forced or early marriages, concerning the lives of female family members. A 2004 Amnesty International (AI) report on violence against women in Turkey indicates the following distinction between forced and arranged marriages, forced marriage, in contrast to arranged marriage, has been described as 'any marriage conducted without the valid consent of both parties and [which] may involve coercion, mental abuse, emotional blackmail, and intense family or social pressure. In the most extreme cases, it may also involve physical violence, abuse, abduction, detention, and murder of the individual concerned.” [7a]
22.20 The Country of Origin Research of the Canada Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa further stated that:
“Young girls living in rural areas, specifically in eastern Anatolia, face difficulties, in trying to oppose forced marriage since under tribal custom they are considered the property of either their father before marriage or by their husband afterwards and if they resist social pressure from the community, ‘they do so at their peril’. Similarly, according to one of the leaders of WWHR, rural women are likely to be marginalized in the context of changes induced by the new Civil Code, including the raising of the legal age for marriage to 18, as they ‘must contend with traditions and customs, [including underage marriage] that have little to do with the legislative revisions their urban sisters enjoy’.” [7a]
22.21 The Country of Origin Research of the Canada Immigration and Refugee Board, Ottawa also noted that:
“However, an article published by the London-based non-governmental organization Panos Institute in January 2002, indicated that child marriage did not exist only in Turkey's conservative heartland. The same article reported the story of a school in the Europeanised west of the country where more than 20 girls aged between 10 and 13 had been married off in exchange for bride price that took place just after the new Civil Code took effect. Middle East International (MEI) reported in January 2002 that many arrests were made by the authorities of the Western province of Aydin after finding that a large group of girls between ages 10 and 14 were being deprived of schooling due to forced early marriages (11 Jan. 2002).” [7a]

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Violence against women
22.22 Stop Violence against Women (stopvaw) stated in their country page updated on 3 May 2005:
“Gender discrimination and violence against women are a widespread problem throughout Turkey. In a recommendation on Turkey’s accession to the European Union, the European Commission noted that discrimination and violence against women, including honor killings, remains a major problem.” [97]
22.23 As noted in the Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre ‘Report of fact-finding mission to Turkey (7-17 October 2004)’ made public in February 2005:
“According to Ms. Nebahat Akkoç and the other women’s rights activists consulted, violence against women is endemic all over Turkey and not limited to ‘backward’ parts such as Eastern Anatolia. It appears, however, that the problem is especially grave in traditional areas, where tribal customs still play an important role in every day life. Ms. Zülal Erdogan and Ms. RemziyeTanrýkulu from the Diyarbakýr Bar Association supported this view and pointed out that there are more cases in conservative, Kurdish families in the Southeast and among migrants from the Southeast living on the outskirts of the metropolitan areas.” [16] (p32)
22.24 The European Commission Turkey 2007 Progress Report published 6 November 2007, noted that, “Domestic violence against women [is] continues to be widespread. Honour killings, early and forced marriages continue to occur. Moreover, access to reliable data on the incidence of violence against women and of honour killings continues to be a problem. More shelters for victims of domestic violence are needed to meet the demand, and services should be improved. Training for law enforcement bodies, judges and prosecutors should be stepped up.” [71d] (p18)
22.25 The European Commission 2007 report noted that:
“Implementation of the prime ministerial circular to combat honour killings and domestic violence against women is underway, under the coordination of the Directorate-General for the Status of Women. Cooperation between public institutions and civil society has improved and regular meetings are held with public institutions and women's NGOs to monitor the implementation of the circular. Campaigns to prevent violence against women are continuing, supported by the government, the media, the private sector and the UN Population Fund.” [71d] (p18)
22.26 Amnesty International’s report ‘No turning back – full implementation of women’s human rights now 10 year review and appraisal of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’ published in February 2005 stated that:
“At every level of the criminal justice system in Turkey, the authorities fail to respond promptly or rigorously to women’s complaints of rape, sexual assault or other violence within the family. The police are reluctant to prevent and investigate family violence, including the violent deaths of women. The police force’s own record of human rights violations makes victims of domestic violence reluctant to seek their help. Prosecutors refuse to open investigations into cases involving domestic violence or to order protective measures for women at risk from their family or community. The police and the courts do not ensure that men, who are served with court orders, including protection orders, comply with them. In most cases the authorities fail to ensure that the perpetrators of violence in the home are brought to justice in accordance with international standards for fair trial.” [12m] (p4)
22.27 A Turkish Daily News article dated 8 September 2006 stated that:
“The Women's and Children's Affairs Ministry will hold a summit at the Prime Ministry on violence against women and ‘honor killings’ today, with representatives of relevant state bodies, unions, nongovernmental organizations and universities present. The summit aims to draft an action plan to prevent violence against women and honor killings and to implement the measures as soon as possible. Çubukçu had previously said that laws and mechanisms protecting women from violence and punishing abuse were already in place. State Minister for Women's and Children's Affairs Nimet Çubukçu, speaking on Wednesday, said they would be discussing what had been done up until now and what could be done in the future to stop this social disease.” [23e]
22.28 The USSD 2005 report noted that:
“Violence against women, including spousal abuse, was a serious and widespread problem. The law prohibits violence against women, including spousal abuse; however, the government generally did not effectively enforce the law. Police were reluctant to intervene in domestic disputes and frequently advised women to return to their husbands. Spousal abuse was considered an extremely private matter involving societal notions of family honor [sic], and few women went to the police”. [5b] (Section 5)
22.29 The USSD 2005 report further added that:
“The Directorate General for the Status of Women reported that 147,784 women were victims of domestic violence from 2001 to 2004. These incidents included 4,957 cases of rape and 3,616 cases of attempted rape. In 2003 6,543 women suffered beatings from family members, and in the first eight months of 2004, 5,214 women suffered beatings. The law prohibits rape, including spousal rape; however, laws and ingrained societal notions made it difficult to prosecute sexual assault or rape cases. Women’s rights advocates believed cases of rape were underreported.” [5b] (Section 5)
22.30 As reported by BIA News Center in September 2006, ‘Women Seek Help Most for Domestic Violence’:
“Istanbul Bar Association Women's Rights Enforcement Center (KHUM) records show that most applications made to this legal counsel service come from women seeking a divorce and 95 out of every 100 women applying last year have complained of being subjected to violence at home. KHUM records for the year 2005 show that 2,827 women applied to the Bar Association's women's rights center. 71 percent of them were complainants, 15.8 percent defendants. The data shows that 59.9 percent of applicants were seeking a divorce and 12.8 percent were seeking assistance in enforcing alimony payments. 9.7 percent of the applicants came to the center for violations of Law 4320 while 8.6 percent applied for alimony.” [102d]
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Honour killings
22.31 A report “The Dynamics of Honor Killing in Turkey” by the United Nations Development Programme noted that, “honor is a property of women which is controlled by men. Women should passively obey the rules of conduct accepted as honourable while men have to actively make women obey these rules. As a result, ‘honor’ was usually formulated as something obliging both men and women to behave in a certain way.” [54] (p20)
22.32 As noted in the USSD 2006 report:
“The government undertook a major campaign during the year to end the practice of honor killings--the killing by immediate family members of women suspected of being unchaste; however, the practice remained a problem. The government reported that there were 1,806 honor killings between 2001 and 2006. During the same period, 5,375 women committed suicide. After the government increased penalties for honor killings, family members increasingly pressured girls to kill themselves in order to preserve the family's honor, according to women's rights groups.” [5g] (Section 5)
22.33 The USSD 2006 report further noted that:
“Broaching the formerly taboo topic, Prime Minister Erdogan condemned the practice of honor killings at the Organization of the Islamic Conference in November. In July the Prime Ministry issued to all ministries and provincial governments a circular that reminded each government institution of its responsibility to prevent domestic violence, including honor killings. In December the interior ministry issued a circular to provincial governors instructing them to form special committees to prevent honor killings. Turkish imams joined pop music stars and soccer celebrities to produce television and billboard ads declaring honor killing a sin and condemning all forms of violence against women.” [5g] (section 5)
22.34 The USSD 2006 report further noted that, “Under the Penal Code, honor killings require punishment of life imprisonment. Women's rights groups reported that there remained dozens of such killings every year, mainly in conservative Kurdish families in the southeast or among migrants from the southeast living in large cities. Because of sentence reductions for juvenile offenders, observers noted that young male relatives often were designated to perform the killing.” [5g] (Section 5)
22.35 The Norwegian Country of Origin Information Centre ‘2004 Report of fact-finding mission to Turkey noted that:
“Like other forms of violence against women, honour killings happen in all parts of the country. They appear to be more frequent in the Black-Sea Region and in Kurdish inhabited areas in the Southeast, where tribal customs play an important role in everyday life. From the sunni-dominated areas of central-Anatolia (such as Konya) however, fewer cases are reported…Just like other kinds of violence within the family, no comprehensive recording or statistical monitoring is conducted as to the prevalence of honour killings.” [16] (p33-34)
22.36 Amnesty International’s report of June 2004 reported two of cases of those found guilty of honour crimes being sentenced to life imprisonment. According to the report “These cases have shown the positive steps that have been taken and the efforts being made within the Turkish judicial system to treat ‘honour killings’ as seriously as other murders… However, although some courts appear to have begun implementing the reforms, the discretion accorded to the courts continues to permit the perpetrators of domestic violence unwarranted leniency.” [12j] (p17)