Rights Group Rebukes Turkish PM on Abortion Stance

Posted May 31st, 2012 at 1:40 pm (UTC-5)
Leave a comment

Human Rights Watch has rebuked Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for suggesting Turkey should greatly restrict abortion.

The international rights group on Thursday expressed concern about Mr. Erdogan's recent statement that he views abortion as murder and that his government is preparing legislation to severely limit women's access to abortion.

Gauri van Gulik, global women's rights advocate at Human Rights Watch, warned that decades of access to legal abortion in Turkey are at risk if the prime minister's words become legislation and policy. She said that with such laws Turkey would take a leap backward on women's rights.

In a speech on May 25, Mr. Erdoğan said that whether a baby is killed in a mother's womb or after birth, he considers it a murder. And he added that no one should have a right to do this. The prime minister also criticized caesarean births.

Ankara later announced that it is preparing draft legislation to reduce the number of abortions.

Mr. Erdogan's words provoked strong reaction from some women, rights groups and opposition lawmakers, who are concerned that the Islamic-rooted government could roll back women's rights and freedoms in general.

Abortion is legal in Turkey up to 10 weeks after conception, with emergency abortions allowed for medical reasons after that. Married women need their husband's permission unless the pregnancy poses an immediate danger to the life of the mother.