Turkish laws fail to protect women's right to choose
Turkey’s government asks whether "abortion is a disease.”
On Feb. 18, news broke that a 15-year-old under the care of Child Protective Services was a victim of rape. This crime was brought to light after authorities discovered that the girl was nine weeks pregnant. Child Protective Services sought permission for an abortion because the victim was a minor, the pregnancy had resulted from rape and, most important, the victim’s mental health was of concern. The courts denied permission to terminate the pregnancy of a child who had no choice in becoming pregnant.
On March 4 in Adana province, a 22-year-old woman attempted to commit suicide because she had been unexpectedly denied an abortion at a government hospital. Hearing this news, I could not help but recall the words spoken in June 2012 by Melih Gokcek, Ankara mayor and Justice and Development Party (AKP) member. Commenting on unintended pregnancies, Gokcek asserted, “What is the crime of the baby that he gets aborted? The pregnant woman should commit suicide instead.” It is rather disturbing to see that Gokcek’s wish might be coming to pass.
Indeed, since May 2012, abortion has become a much-politicized issue in Turkey. This development can be traced to a statement by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan: “I see abortion as murder.” He added that he also has a problem with Caesarean sections. Erdogan wondered aloud, “Why should the government pay for these?” One can be certain that when Erdogan voices his opinion, it matters dearly in Turkey, affecting the lives of many, for better and for worse. The issue of a woman’s right to choose is no exception.
In summer 2012, there were demonstrations in several cities against the possible banning of abortion. The AKP government did not, in the end, ban it. As with new restrictions placed on alcohol, Internet access and other personal choices, Erdogan was savvy enough to refrain from an outright prohibition. Hence, the AKP can rightfully claim, “There are no bans, just regulations.” Abortion remains legal in Turkey during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Every adult woman, married or single, has this right, but government hospitals no longer provide abortion services, because the government decided behind closed doors to stop funding them.
