Turkey should reconsider criminalizing adultery, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, referring to an issue that had angered many pro-government Turks but also raised concerns in the European Union when it first came to light. , almost a decade ago.
Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP) raised the issue in 2004, two years after coming to power, as part of a broader review of the penal code. But the proposal met with strong opposition from the popular opposition, with European officials warning at the time that it would undermine Turkey's bid to join the EU.
Although Turkey remains a candidate for EU membership, talks have virtually stalled since the wave of repression that followed the failed 2016 coup.
"I think it would be very, very timely to discuss the issue of adultery again, as our society is in a different position in terms of moral values," Erdogan told reporters after a speech to parliament.
"This is a very old issue," he said. It should be discussed. It was already included in our proposals (in 2004). "At that time we took a step in line with the demands of the EU, but we made a mistake."
Erdoγan's comment that by fulfilling the conditions set by the EU, Turkey "made a mistake" underlines how big the gap is between Ankara and Brussels.
Turkey decriminalized adultery for women in the late 1990s. It was legal for men for many years.