Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Şimşek has slammed Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström after the latter took to Twitter to criticize a recent court ruling in Turkey that failed to identify as abuse all sexual intercourse with children aged 15 or under.
“Turkish decision to allow sex with children under 15 must be reversed. Children need more protection, not less, against violence, sex abuse,” tweeted Wallström on Aug. 14.
In response, Şimşek tweeted: “You are clearly misinformed. There is no such stupid thing in Turkey. Please get your facts right.”
Wallström’s tweet came one day after Turkey summoned Austria’s charge d’affaires in Ankara over what it said was an “indecent report” on the issue on a news ticker at Vienna Airport, which read “Turkey allows sex with children under the age of 15” concerning a recent ruling Constitutional Court ruling.
Turkey’s Constitutional Court last month ruled in favor of removing a provision in the penal code which identifies all sexual acts against children under the age of 15 as “sexual abuse” following an application made by a local court.
