Turkish Cabinet meeting to concentrate on violence issues

Murders targeting women and children are set to dominate the new meeting of the Cabinet scheduled for Monday. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will chair the meeting that comes after a string of gruesome murders made the headlines in the country, sparking a debate on lenient sentences on people with a criminal history. Most recently, a young man brutally killed two women in Istanbul before committing suicide while the disappearance of a girl and the discovery of her lifeless body in southeastern Türkiye caused a public outcry. The murder of a policewoman by a man who was not incarcerated despite his long sheet of criminal offenses added to woes over the perception of impunity in the Turkish legal system.

Violence and murders targeting women, especially by ex-spouses, also remain a thorny issue for Türkiye. The Cabinet will discuss the incidents as well as social media’s impact on cases of violence, from so-called “incel” groups active on social media accused of perpetuating the violence to racist posts. Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş is set to present her ministry’s work on the matters, including mapping the violence risk across the country and consultancy services for families, the Sabah newspaper reported on Sunday. The Cabinet will discuss new regulations on social media, the same newspaper reported. Ministers will also discuss work on a draft law for increasing jail terms.

Turkish authorities are preparing to introduce changes to the criminal system against the perception of impunity. A series of legal measures will ensure the enforcement of punishment for first-time criminals or those with records to prevent the idea of impunity with verdicts “that harm the public conscious,” according to Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç.

Additionally, new measures would include the establishment of a judicial police force to quell the concerns over the quick release of assaulters, which is usually attributed to slow collection of evidence or ineffective investigation. This judicial force would be instructed directly by prosecutor’s offices instead of police or gendarmerie departments, quickening the process of collecting evidence, eliminating any possibility of overlooked details and strengthening the case against the criminal. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan often warns against this sense of impunity, arguing that “verdicts that do not address concerns in public conscience do not serve social peace.” “Unfortunately, we occasionally come across bad examples serving a sense of impunity. We are exerting efforts to minimize this,” he said last month. At a recent parliamentary meeting of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), he confirmed necessary changes would be made to the criminal execution provisions, assuring at least 10% of the prison sentence for certain crimes would be served. “If someone had five criminal records, the law will allow that they are tried while in custody without waiting for other cases to be completed or added to their record,” he said. The length of detention will be determined in proportion to the crimes committed by the person and the sentences they will receive. “We will do whatever it takes for our people to feel safe,” he said. There is already a draft at Parliament on these reforms, which will be discussed in the coming weeks.

The Cabinet will also discuss another popular topic: food safety. Last month, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry started releasing daily lists of companies illegally altering ingredients in food, from meatballs to olive oil, and those endangering public health by using banned ingredients. Lists proved wildly popular among the public and exposed the lengths companies went to earn more, from using chemicals to “color” the spice to mixing olive oil with sunflower oil. The ministry also exposed a popular restaurant chain using pork meat in meatballs it promoted as made of beef. Companies often get away with hefty fines while more serious offenses in Food safety violations lead to the closure of establishments. Media outlets say the Cabinet will discuss whether to increase the fines slapped on businesses found in violation of food safety.