Erdoğan: Gender equality is contrary to nature

During a meeting on women's rights hosted by Turkey's Women and Democracy Association, which took place on 24 November 2014, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan considered gender equality to be contrary to nature and accused feminists of not recognising the value of motherhood.

Mr Erdoğan's critics in mostly Muslim but constitutionally secular Turkey have regularly accused him of puritanical intrusiveness into private life, from his advice to women on the number of children they should have to his views on abortion.

• Primary Source

Hurriet Daily News, 24.11.14: Turkish President Erdoğan says gender equality ‘against nature’ http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkish-president-erdogan-says-gender-equality-against-nature.aspx?PageID=238&NID=74726&NewsCatID=338

Today's Zaman, 24.11.14: Erdoğan: Gender equality against nature http://www.todayszaman.com/anasayfa_erdogan-you-cannot-make-men-and-women-equal_365182.html

The Washington Post, 24.11.14: Turkey’s president says women are not equal to men http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2014/11/24/turkeys-president-says-women-are-not-equal-to-men/

Deutsche Welle, 24.11.14: Motherhood should be women's priority: Turkish President Erdogan http://dw.de/p/1DsHX

Corriere della Sera, 25.11.14: Erdoğan's religious zeal endangering Turkey (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE154217-Erdo-an-s-religious-zeal-endangering-Turkey

EUObserver, 27.11.14 [Opinion]: Turkey needs its women, Mr Erdogan http://euobserver.com/opinion/126704

The Guardian, 24.11.14: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: ‘women not equal to men http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/24/turkeys-president-recep-tayyip-erdogan-women-not-equal-men

ESO: Background information: EU-Turkey: Progress in women's human rights http://www.europeansources.info/record/speech-eu-turkey-progress-in-womens-human-rights/

openDemocracy, 05.12.14: Positive discrimination a la Erdoğan and its political background https://www.opendemocracy.net/sezen-yara%C5%9F/positive-discrimination-la-erdo%C4%9F-and-its-political-background

Radikal, 05.01.15: AKP wants to exclude women from society (via Euro|Topics) http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/aehnliche/archiv_article/ARTICLE156011-AKP-wants-to-exclude-women-from-society

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