Turkey: Tougher measures pledged against child abusers

By Mehmet Tosun

ANKARA (AA) - Turkey will take all possible measures against child abusers, including chemical castration, and a commission will start working on the issue this week, Turkey’s justice minister said Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters in Ankara, Abdulhamit Gul said the commission would work on new legal and administrative measures against child abusers.

"A commission supervised by a deputy prime minister will start working as of tomorrow [Thursday]," he said, adding the commission would be discussing all legal and administrative measures including chemical castration.

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that child abuse cases, which recently saw an apparent spike, could “lead to the collapse of our society".

"It is our responsibility to safeguard the innocent -- who are part of our lives -- from all kinds of threats and danger in addition to raising them and ensuring their survival," he said.

He said those who committed such criminal acts would be not get any leeway in the country's executive system.