Neha Patil (Editor)

Polygamy in Turkey

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Turkey is a predominantly Muslim nation that has abolished polygamy, which was officially criminalized with the adoption of the Turkish Civil Code in 1926, a milestone in Atatürk's secularist reforms. Penalties for illegal polygamy are up to 2 years imprisonment. Turkey has long been known for its promotion of secularism and later introduced even stricter bars on polygamy. Even the ruling moderate AK Parti effectively banned polygamists from entering or living in the country.

Although illegal polygamy is very rare in Turkish society, the practice still exists in the Kurdish populated South East.

An advisor to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the ruling moderate AK Parti, Ali Yüksel, is reportedly polygamous and has made public his intention to take a fourth wife, which caused outrage from the Turkish media and also from the ruling party.

References

Polygamy in Turkey Wikipedia