The head of the High Commission of Religious Affairs Ekrem Keles on Thursday told Hurriyet that the earliest age for a girl to marry is 17 and 18 for a boy. “Forget a nine or a 10-year-old child marrying, a child at 15 should not marry and should not be married,” he said. The controversy touched a nerve in Turkey, where child marriages are not uncommon and the fight continues to raise girls’ level of education. Meanwhile, CHP lawmaker Murat Bakan on Twitter said child marriages “violates children’s rights, women’s rights and human rights”, adding that the party had called for a parliamentary investigation into child marriages. Women’s rights groups also criticised the agency, which is similar to a religious affairs ministry, accusing it of trying to legitimise child abuse and urging Diyanet to “get their hands off our children”.

Source: Pakistan Today January 04, 2018 15:22 UTC