Üsküdar University Founding Rector, Psychiatrist Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan, stated that his words regarding the Istanbul Convention at the Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) Parliamentary Research Commission were distorted by some media outlets, and said: "In my speech at the commission, I criticized a German court's decision to view incest as a fundamental right, by reading a news report about an incident that occurred in Germany in 2012, and I said: 'If we are going to make such decisions, if we are opening the way for incest, then go ahead, let whoever wants to do it. If we are currently making a decision regarding cultural change in society with such a ruling, this is what awaits us in the future; I want to convey this.' I condemn my speech being cherry-picked and reported with a baseless headline such as 'He linked the Convention to incest,' and I refute the claims of the aforementioned press organizations, calling for the correction of the error." It was also documented by parliamentary records that the distorted news and social media posts on the matter do not reflect the truth.
"The Issue Should Be Viewed from a 'Family' Perspective"
The Parliamentary Research Commission established by the Turkish Grand National Assembly to Investigate the Causes of Violence Against Women in all its aspects and Determine Necessary Measures, convened the other day. Prof. Dr. Tarhan, Founding Rector of Üsküdar University and Psychiatrist, whose opinions were consulted by the commission, said it is necessary to understand whether violence is a result or a cause. Emphasizing that the issue should be examined not only from the perspective of law or women's rights but also from a family perspective, Tarhan pointed out that according to the OECD's 2019 report, Turkey ranks first in the world for violence against women or cohabiting partners. Tarhan reminded that, according to this report, high-income countries such as the USA, New Zealand, Finland, Sweden, and Norway followed Turkey, and stressed that while the marriage rate in Turkey increased by 1.6 percent between 2001-2018, the divorce rate surged by 54 percent. Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that women and men are not biologically equal, but they should be equalized in rights, freedoms, and opportunities.
"My Words Were Deliberately Distorted"
Instead of using the important information provided by Prof. Dr. Tarhan in the commission, some media outlets deliberately cherry-picked different parts of his speech, misrepresenting Tarhan's comments on the Istanbul Convention and attempting to create a negative perception in the public, which caused a reaction. Prof. Dr. Tarhan stated that the publication of such news with manipulative headlines, intended to discredit him, is incompatible with journalistic ethics, and said the following:
"In my speech at the commission, I criticized a German court's decision to view incest as a fundamental right, by reading a news report published in the British Independent newspaper regarding an incident that occurred in Germany in 2012 (Original link of the news: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/german-incest-couple-lose-rights-ruling-7640247.html), and I said: 'If we are going to make such a decision, if we are opening the way for incest, then go ahead, let whoever wants to do it. If we are currently making a decision regarding cultural change in society with such a ruling, this is what awaits us in the future; I want to convey this.' It is unacceptable that my speech was cherry-picked and reported with a headline such as 'He linked the Convention to incest.' I condemn the incomplete reporting of my statements and refute the claims of the aforementioned press organizations, calling for them to make corrections."
Prof. Dr. Tarhan added that as a university, they are working to raise individuals with high awareness and strengthen the family institution, which is the cornerstone of society. Within this scope, they launched the 'Families at University Project' with the idea that happy and healthy generations would be raised in a family model where women and men are strong together, thus building a strong society.
Facts in Parliamentary Records
On the other hand, the parliamentary records of the commission meeting also refute the negative perception that some news reports and social media posts in the media attempted to create.
While news and posts claimed that Prof. Dr. Tarhan commented that women and men are not equal, the statements reflected in the records clearly state that 'women and men are only not biologically equal, but must be completely equal in terms of rights and opportunities, and even that there should be a complementary feminist movement'.
Prof. Dr. Tarhan, in his speech regarding the convention, pointed out that definitions related to gender were not clear, and emphasized the definition of "non-egalitarian power relationship," stating: "In America, there are currently open marriages. A man and a woman are married, both have lovers, and this is approved as an 'open marriage.' If we are to approve this, let our Parliament decide and legalize open marriage. In 2014, I cut that out from newspapers, saved it, and shared it on social media. They establish an ethics committee to ask, 'Is this a crime or not?' The ethics committee mostly says, 'This is not a crime.' It legalizes incest. If we are going to make such a decision, if we are opening the way for incest, then go ahead, let whoever wants to do it."
Again, in his statements recorded in the minutes, Prof. Dr. Tarhan also touched upon the importance of protecting cultural identity, saying:
"There is no psychology without culture. I do not find an imitative approach, acting in inferior roles in the face of European culture, correct. I did not think here, 'You want incest.' As you know, science has the ability to predict the future. If we are currently making a decision regarding cultural change in society with such a ruling, this is what awaits us in the future; I want to convey this."
Prof. Dr. Nevzat Tarhan's Official TGNA Transcript is below:
