EU Commissioner Calls Türkiye Adultery Bill "a Joke"

EU enlargement commissioner Günter Verheugen called Türkiye's proposed adultery legislation "a joke" during a visit to the country in September 2004, warning that the bill could put Ankara's membership bid at risk. He said he had raised the matter directly with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gül, urging them to reconsider.

The ruling Justice and Development Party had introduced the measure the previous week as part of a sweeping revision of the penal code. The bill would restore prison sentences for adultery, a penalty removed from law eight years earlier, and was headed for a parliamentary vote alongside provisions banning torture and expanding civil liberties.

Verheugen cautioned that some EU member states might interpret the proposal as a concession to religious sentiment in a country that has maintained secular governance since becoming a republic in 1923. EU leaders were set to decide at a December summit whether Türkiye had met the political criteria to begin formal accession talks.

The bill drew sharp criticism from secular groups and women's rights organizations inside Türkiye. The AKP subsequently narrowed the legislation, agreeing that courts could pursue adultery cases only if a spouse filed a formal complaint.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in September 2004, in its own words.