Women's rights groups applaud the new Turkish penal code

Women's rights activists have stated that the new Turkish penal code (TCK) is largely a success for women's rights in Turkey. The new TCK has abolished the discrimination that existed previously between virgin and non-virgin, married and unmarried women, just one amendment among 30 that have been made to the new TCK.The law on protection of the family, which now addresses the issue of domestic violence by husbands, has been a major step forward for women's rights in Turkey. The new TCK also states that crimes such as rape and sexual harassment will be seen as crimes against the individual woman, as opposed to the old law that saw these acts as crimes against public morality. The new TCK is seen as a triumph for Women's Working group founding member and lawyer Senal Sarihan, who worked very hard getting the amendments realized.Â