Article 103 of The Turkish Penal Code, Recently Amended and Passed Through Parliament, Runs The Risk of Seeking Consent from Children Between 12 and 15 Years of Age

The government proposed a bill late at night on November 17, 2016 that would grant amnesty to the perpetrators of sexual abuse if they married their victims, and later had to withdraw it following widespread uproar first and foremost from the TPC 103 Women’s Platform comprised of nearly 140 autonomous women’s organizations, as well as from numerous groups in society, ranging from women’s NGOs to children’s NGOs, from general practitioners to lawyers, all across the country and abroad. However, Article 13 of omnibus Draft Law No. 438, which proposed amendments to Article 103 of the Turkish Penal Code (TPC), passed through parliament on November 24, 2016. Accordingly, there is now an age categorization for 12-to-15-year-olds in Article 103 of the TPC.

In its amended form, Article 103 of the TPC does still prevent seeking consent from children below 15 years of age. Yet because age of consent is not clearly stated in the law in a way that leaves no room for interpretation, this could lead to different interpretations in practice, as witnessed in certain cases in the past. Thus, there is a danger that in practice, some courts could seek consent from children between 12 and 15 years of age. While the Constitutional Court justified its decision to annul Article 103 on the argument that children are affected differently from sexual abuse depending on their age, and tried to resolve the matter by creating a separate category for 12-to-15-year-old children, this categorization could cause courts to question the consent of children in this age range and “force them to marry the person who abused them.” Unfortunately, there are cases in Turkey’s juridical history where some courts sought consent from children aged 13, even before this age categorization was introduced. Meanwhile, efforts to generate public perception to the effect that children between 12 and 15 years of age can “consent” to sexual abuse and be married run the risk of opening the door to early marriages, which already has partial political support as evinced by the withdrawn amnesty bill.

In its current form, the article passed through parliament could give rise to the danger of varying interpretations of age of consent. The reason for this is that although the amended article is said to have been developed to increase the legal punishment for the rape of children below the age of 12, it categorizes children by age and opens the door to lowering age of consent to 12. This could clear the legal path to pushing girls into forced and early marriages. Lowering age of consent and marriage to 12 in practice will become very easy if a decision by even a single judge is based on this article and is then accepted as jurisprudence; it would not even have to be enacted into law. Statements by the Justice Minister in relation to past or future de facto marriages based on “the consent of the minor and assent from the family” clearly point to this danger. Children under 15 cannot give consent, and assent from the family cannot cover-up the crime committed by the perpetrator.

Here, once again, are our demands and recommendations to effectively combat children’s sexual abuse: 

1. It should be clearly stated in Article 103 of the TPC that it is unacceptable for children under 15 to consent to sexual behavior: If both parties who engaged in sexual behavior are children, persons who facilitated, encouraged or forced this behavior must be punished. Otherwise, it is highly likely that emboldened by the fact children receive no punishment for it, these children will be forced into “marriage” on the basis of excuses such as traditions, customs, and religious references.
2. Early and forced marriage should be criminalized in the TPC: Early and forced marriage needs to be defined as a crime; this is an obligation Turkey must fulfill according to Article 37 of the Istanbul Convention.
3. Marrying children via a religious marriage ceremony should be criminalized and all religious marriage ceremonies should go on official record: When the Constitutional Court annulled the article in the TPC that criminalized holding a religious marriage ceremony prior to an official marriage ceremony, it cleared the way for both children’s sexual abuse through means of a religious marriage, and male polygamy.

It is for these reasons that we, as the TPC 103 Women’s Platform, believe that the 12-to-15 age categorization in the amended article could generate different interpretations in practice. Consequently, we call on all members of parliament to do whatever it takes to enact into law our additional demands listed above and ensure Article 103 of the TPC is applied in a way that makes no reference to the consent and marriage of children below 15 years of age. We also call on the public, the media, and all women’s and children’s organizations first and foremost, to monitor relevant court cases and legal decisions in the coming days!

THE TPC 103 WOMEN’S PLATFORM, November 25, 2016 

1. Adalar Vakfı Kadın Çalışma Grubu
2. Adana Büyükşehir Belediyesi Kent Konseyi Kadın Meclisi / Adana Cosmopolitan Municipality City Council Women’s Assembly
3. Aka-Der Kadın Faaliyeti
4. Akdam – Adana Kadın Dayanışma Merkezi ve Sığınmaevi Derneği / Akdam – Adana Women’s Solidarity Center and Shelter
5. Almanya Göçmen Kadınlar Birliği
6. Altınoluk Demokrasi Platformu Kadınları
7. Ankara Feminist Kolektif – Ankara Feminist Collective
8. Ankara Kadın Platformu – Ankara Women’s Platform
9. Antalya Feminist Kolektif – Antalya Feminist Collective
10. Antalya Kadın Danışma Merkezi ve Dayanışma Derneği – Antalya Women’s Solidarity Center and Shelter
11. Antalya Kadın Platformu
12. Avrupa Kadın Lobisi Türkiye / European Women’s Lobby, Turkey
13. Aydın Kadın Efeler Derneği
14. Ayvalık Bağımsız Kadın İnisiyatifi / Ayvalık Independent Women’s Initiative
15. Bağımsız Kadın Derneği Mersin / Independent Woman Association Mersin
16. Barış İçin Kadın Girişimi (BİKG) / Women’s Peace Initiative
17. Bilgi Kadın / Bilgi Women
18. Bodrum Kadın Dayanışma Derneği / Bodrum Women’s Solidarity Association
19. BPW Türkiye – İş ve Meslek Sahibi Kadınlar Federasyonu / BPW Turkey – Federation of Business and Professional Women
20. Buca Evka-1 Kadın Kültür Ve Dayanışma (Bekev) / Buca Evka-1 Women’s Culture and Solidarity (Bekev)
21. CEİD – Cinsiyet Eşitliği İzleme Derneği / Association for Monitoring Gender Equality
22. Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği / Association for Struggle Against Sexual Violence
23. Çağdaş Hukukçular Derneği Kadın ve Toplumsal Cinsiyet Çalışma Grubu
24. Çanakkale El Emeğini Değerlendirme ve Kadın Danışma Merkezi –Elder / Women’s Hand Made Work Valuation Association – Women’s Consulting Center/ Elder
25. Çiğli Evka-2 Kadın Kültür Derneği (Çekev) / Çiğli Evka 2 Women’s Culture House Association (Çekev)
26. Datça Kadın Girişimi / Datça Women’s Association
27. Demir Leblebi Kadın Derneği / Demir Leblebi Women’s Association
28. Demokratik Kadın Hareketi / Democratic Women’s Movement
29. Disk Kadın Komisyonu / Confederation of Revolutionary Workers Unions (DİSK) Women’s Committee
30. Diyarbakır İş Kadınları Derneği
31. Edirne Çocuk Hakları Derneği
32. Edirne Kadın Merkezi Danışma Derneği (Ekamader) /  Edirne Women’s Counseling Centre Association
33. Edremit Demokrasi Platformu Kadınları
34. Ege Kadın Buluşması Platformu
35. Ekmek ve Gül Kadın Grubu
36. Engelli Kadın Derneği – Enkad / Association of Women With Disabilities
37. Erktolia
38. Eşit Yaşam Derneği
39. EŞİTİZ – Eşitlik İzleme Kadın Grubu / Equality Watch Women’s Group
40. Eşitlik Koalisyonu Kadın Grubu
41. Eşitlik ve Adalet İçin Kadın Grubu / Women for Equality and Justice
42. Ev Eksenli Çalışan Kadınlar Çalışma Grubu / Home Based Working Women Study Group
43. EVKAD Adana / Housewives Solidarity and Development Association EVKAD Adana
44. Kapatılan VAKAD’ın Emekçileri
45. Federation of Business and Professional Women
46. Femin Art Uluslararası Kadın Sanatçılar Derneği
47. Fethiye Kadın Platformu
48. Filmmor Kadın Kooperatifi / Filmmor Women’s Cooperative
49. FKF’li Kadınlar
50. Göz Altında Cinsel Taciz ve Tecavüze Karşı Hukuki Yardım Bürosu
51. Göztepe Dayanismasi L’animo Kadın Grubu
52. Günebakan  Kadın Derneği
53. Hevi LGBTİ Derneği
54. IAW – International Alliance of Women
55. İHD Ankara Şube Kadın Komisyonu / Women’s Commission of Human Rights Association, Ankara
56. İlerici Kadın Derneği, Antalya
57. İlerici Kadınlar Meclisi
58. İstanbul Kadın Kuruluşları Birliği / Istanbul Women OrganizationsUnion
59. İzmir Amargi
60. İzmir Bağımsız Kadın İnisiyatifi / İzmir Independent Women’s Initiative
61. İzmir Kadın Dayanışma Derneği / İzmir Women’s Solidarity Association
62. İzmir Kadın Kuruluşları Birliği
63. Kadav – Kadınlarla Dayanışma Vakfı / Women’s Solidarity Foundation
64. Ka-Der – Kadın Adayları Destekleme Derneği / Association for Support of Women Candidates
65. Ka-Der – Kadın Adayları Destekleme Derneği Ankara Şubesi / Association for Support of Women CandidatesAnkara
66. Kadın Cinayetlerine Karşı Acil Önlem Grubu / Platform for Urgent Action Against Femicide
67. Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu / We Will Stop Femicides Platform
68. Kadın Çalışmaları Derneği / Association for Women’s Studies
69. Kadın Dayanışma Vakfı / Women’s Solidarity Foundation
70. Kadın Emeği ve İstihdamı Girişimi (KEİG) / Women’s Labor and Employment Initiative
71. Kadın Emeği Derneği / Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work
72. Kadın Emeği Kolektifi / Women’s Labor Collective
73. Kadın Haklarını Koruma Derneği Genel Başkanlığı / Associationfor the Protection of Women Rights
74. Kadın Koalisyonu / Women’s Coalition
75. Kadın Özgürlük Meclisi / Women’s Freed Assembly
76. Kadın Partisi / Women’s Party
77. Kadın Yazarlar Derneği
78. Kadının İnsan Hakları – Yeni Çözümler Derneği / Women for Women’s Human Rights (WWHR) – New Ways
79. Kagider – Türkiye Kadın Girişimciler Derneği / Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey
80. Kahdem – Kadınlara Hukuki Destek Merkezi
81. Kampüs Cadıları / Campus Witches
82. KAOS GL Derneği / KAOS GL Association
83. Kapadokya Kadın Dayanışma Derneği / Kapadokya Women’s Solidarity Association
84. Karadeniz Kadın Dayanışma Derneği / Karadeniz Women’s Solidarity Association
85. Karya Kadın Derneği / Karya Women’s Association
86. Kayseri Kadın Dayanışma Derneği / Kayseri Women’s Solidarity Association
87. Kazdağlı Kadınlar / Women from Kazdağı
88. Kazete Bağımsız Kadın Gazetesi / KAZETE Independent Women’s Newspaper
89. Kazeteder – Kadın Erkek Eşitliği Derneği
90. KEFA – Kadın Emeği Çalışan Feminist Araştırmacılar Grubu / Feminist Researchers Studying Women’s Labor KEFA
91. KESK Kadın Meclisi / Confederation of Public Workers Union (KESK) Women’s Assembly
92. Keskesor  LGBT
93. Kırmızı Biber Derneği / Red Pepper Association
94. Kırmızı Şemsiye Cinsel Sağlık ve İnsan Hakları Derneği / Red Umbrella Sexual Health and Human Rights Association
95. Kocaeli Kadın Platformu / Kocaeli Women’s Platform
96. Koza Kadın Derneği  / Koza Women’s Association
97. Lambda İstanbul / Lambdaİstanbul LGBTI Solidarity Association
98. Lezbiyen Biseksüel Feministler  / Lesbian Bisexual Feminists
99. Mardin Ortak Kadın ve İşbirliği Derneği Marmara Grubu Vakfı
100. Menteşe Kent Konseyi Kadın Meclisi
101. Mersin 7 Renk LGBT Derneği
102. Mor Çatı Kadın Sığınağı Vakfı / Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation
103. Mor Çetele
104. Mor Dayanışma / Purple Association for Women’s Solidarity
105. Mor Pusula
106. Mor Salkım Kadın Dayanışma Derneği
107. Muğla Emek Benim Kadın Derneği
108. Muğla Kadın Dayanışma Grubu / Muğla Women’s Solidarity Association
109. Özgür Genç Kadın
110. Özgür Renkler Derneği
111. Pembe Hayat LGBTT Derneği / Pink Life LGBTT Association
112. Samandağ Kadın Dayanışma Derneği
113. SODA – Sosyal Dayanışma Ağı
114. Sosyalist Kadın Meclisleri
115. SPOD – Sosyal Politikalar Cinsiyet Kimliği ve Cinsel Yönelim Çalışmaları Derneği / Social Policy, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Works Association
116. Şiddetsizlik Merkezi’nden Kadınlar / Women from Nonviolent Education and Research Association
117. TMMOB İstanbul Kadın Komisyon / Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects Istanbul Women’s Commission
118. TODAP – Toplumsal Dayanışma İçin Psikologlar Derneği Kadın Komisyonu / Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation
119. Toplumcu Kadın Psikologlar
120. Trabzon Demokratik Kadın Platformu
121. TTB Kadın Hekimlik Kadın ve Sağlığı Kolu / Turkish Medical Association Women Medicine and Woman and Health Branch
122. Türk Kadınlar Birliği / Turkish Women’s Union
123. Türk Kadınlar Konseyi / National Council of Turkish Women
124. Türk Üniversiteli Kadınlar Derneği / Turkish Association of University Women
125. Türkiye Aile Sağlığı ve Planlaması Vakfı / Turkish Family Health and Planning Foundation
126. Türkiye Kadın Dernekleri Federasyonu / Federation of Women’s Associations of Turkey
127. Türkiye Soroptimist Kulüpleri Federasyonu
128. Uçan Süpürge Kadın İletişim ve Araştırma Derneği / Flying Broom Communication and Research Association
129. Ulusötesi Kadın Konuları Merkezi Derneği / Center for Transnational Women’s Issues
130. Üniversiteli Kadın Kolektifi / Women from University Collective
131. Yaşam Evi Kadın Dayanışma Derneği
132. Yeni Demokrat Kadın
133. Yeryüzü Kadınları
134. Yeşil Feministler
135. Yoğurtçu Kadın Forumu
136. 17+ Alevi Kadınlar
137. 5 Harfliler