“Forget a nine or a 10 year old child marrying, a child at 15 should not marry and should not be married,” he said. Australia celebrates ‘day for love’ as it allows same-sex marriageThe legal age to get married in Turkey is 18. 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: The Express Tribune January 04, 2018 14:37 UTC