THE NOTION “VIOLENCE” AGAINST WOMEN/SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND A GENERAL ASSESSMENT OF THE CRIME OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE TURKISH CRIMINAL LAW

Violence, targeting particularly women and children, prevail in Turkey at an ever-increasing rate. The incidents of violence which are subjected to prosecution are just the tip of the iceberg. The cases of domestic violence are, to a large extent, kept as a family secret and those who are responsible often go unpunished. Both the Turkish Penal Code and the other relevant legal regulations include provisions regarding the issue of violence. However, the fact that such provisions exist in the Penal Code and legal regulations does not prevent such incidents from taking place. Neither does the aggravation of penalties prove effective in that respect. The fundamental solution of the problem requires the raising of public awareness and the internalization of the principle that women should be respected as human beings and first-class citizens in their own rights