Turk: Turkey Has Gained A Modern Civil Code

ADANA, Jan 26 (A.A) - Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said on Saturday that civil codes had a broad content which covered lives of people before their birth to death, adding, ''if the new Turkish Civil Code is compared with those in the world, it can be seen that it is at the most advanced point.''
Speaking at the ''Seventh Introduction Seminar of the Turkish Civil Code'' held in southern province of Adana, Turk said that the need for a change had started to be felt 25 years after the code had entered into force.
Recalling that gaps and deficiencies which had occurred in the Civil Code had tried to be removed with amendments from time to time, Turk said, ''however, partial amendments to a law cannot sometimes completely meet the need for a change. In that case, the law should be changed completely.''
Turk said that works on the new code had been carried out by taking into consideration the realities in Turkey and opinions of scientists and jurisdiction.
''Turkey has gained a comtemporary civil code. If this code is compared with those in the world including also those in European countries, it can be seen that it is at the most advanced point. Because, this code reflects developments, new understandings and thoughts which appeared after the World War II,'' he said.
Noting that the world had experienced a rapid change and an understanding of order where liberalism and human rights were in the forefront, Turk said, ''these developments have spread to every field of law. This has been seen firstly in the family law. Gender equality in the family law became the most important matter of arrangement in European countries since 1950s and Turkey has seriously followed all of these developments.''
''The new civil code has been brought to the level of meeting requirements of the 21st century better. The code also reflects innovations in Turkish language and law terminology,'' he said.
Stressing that human rights and gender equality were among the most important values, Turk said, ''our constitution expresses equality between men and women. It mentions that family is the basis of the Turkish nation and based on equality between spouses. I hope that the next amendment to Article 10 of the Constitution will also include the principle that 'women and men have equal rights'. This is a principle which is much more important than family law.''
Turk said that for the successful implementation of the Turkish Civil Code, it should be implemented with a contemporary understanding first of all by all jurists, particularly judges and prosecutors.
Turk announced that Family Courts would be formed for successul implementation of the new code and that all disputes stemming from family law would be taken up by those courts.
''However, judges will not only implement rules of law but at the same time, they will help spouses by giving advices to them while solving those disputes. And assistance of experts like pyschologists, pedagogs and sociologists will be taken,'' Turk added.