Education Minister İsmet Yılmaz and main opposition deputies reacted adversely to a booklet distributed by the Kütahya Municipality, governed by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), advising young couples about sex.
The booklet, distributed by the municipality in the western Turkish province of Kütahya, came to the attention of the public when main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) Kocaeli deputy Fatma Kaplan criticized it in Parliament on Thursday.
Kaplan said during budget talks that the booklet was filled with fantasies and immoral content.
The book has much controversial content such as claiming polygamy is “beneficial” as it “creates competition” and that it’s acceptable for children between the ages of 10 and 12 to get married as long as they wed a child of the same age group.
“A man married to a grumpy woman, instead of divorcing and having her plagued by another man, can marry another woman without having to divorce. This situation creates competition,” it stated.
Education Minister Yılmaz also criticized the content of the book, describing it as “primitive.”
“Everyone can distribute [booklets] as they want, but people should have a balance. … People object to the content of the booklet. We cannot rely on opinions that are primitive and non-scientific,” Yılmaz said.
According to the book, a woman should be obedient to her husband, “remaining quiet and apologizing immediately” when her husband is angry with her. It also suggested to newlyweds ”not to talk during sex, because it could lead to [their] child developing a stutter.”
The booklet also said that ballet and theater are centers for demons and that women should not exercise at sport centers and parks. It encourages violence against women by saying that if a man beats a woman, she will love and want him much more.