# CE2004088EN.01008401.xml

| 8.4.2004 | EN | Official Journal of the European Union | CE 88/84 |
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8.4.2004

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

CE 88/84

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(2004/C 88 E/0091)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2392/03

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(21 July 2003)

Subject:   Stoning of Semsiye Allak in the village of Yalim, Turkey

Subject:

According to numerous reports in the international press, 35-year old Semsiye Allak was stoned in the Kurdish village of Yalim in Turkey by her family when she became pregnant after being raped by a married man. The woman died seven months after the stoning, alone and abandoned in hospital, while the man was killed on the spot by her relatives who took the law into their own hands.

This appalling deed is a further example of the tragic consequences of gender discrimination which derive from religious fanaticism and intolerance. The systematic violation of women's human rights through the imposition of violent and degrading punishments which often result in death calls for an immediate practical response. In present-day Turkey, which is on the way to negotiating its accession to the EU, political measures should be taken to eliminate crimes of ‘honour’.

Will the Commission exert pressure on the Turkish Government to adopt stringent legislation against crimes of honour and taking the law into one's own hands, and to bring those responsible to justice? Will the Commission also intervene to protect women's human rights and bring an end to the degrading treatment of women and the perpetuation of violence and discrimination against them?

Answer given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(4 September 2003)

(4 September 2003)

The Commission is aware of international press reports concerning the events mentioned by the Honourable Member.

As a Candidate Country, Turkey has undertaken to comply with the Copenhagen political criteria. These criteria include the principle of gender equality as well as economic, social and cultural rights. This has been made further clear as a priority under the revised Accession Partnership for Turkey to guarantee ‘in law and in practice the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by all individuals without discrimination and irrespective of language, race, colour, sex, political opinion, religion or belief in line with relevant international and European instruments’.

Already in its Regular Report published in 2002 (1), the Commission drew attention to the issue of honour killings and mentioned explicitly that in Turkey ‘honour killings qualify for reduced sentences, which may be further reduced if the accused is a minor’.

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In the sixth package of political reforms adopted by the Turkish Parliament on 19 June 2003, some measures have been taken to address the question of ‘honour killings’. In particular, Article 453 of the penal code has been amended to increase the penalty for the killing of out-of-wedlock babies from four to eight years to six to ten years. Article 462, which foresaw a reduction of sentence in the case of honour killings, has been abrogated.

The Commission will continue to monitor the situation closely and in particular the implementation of these new provisions.

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(1)  COM(2002) 700 final.

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