New Bill to Punish Planned Miscarriages

Turkey's health, justice and family ministries drafted a bill regulating birth health standards, a claim made by Turkish newspaper Akşam.

Journalist Ebru Toktar Çekiç's article claimed the bill to appear in parliament agenda following the current budget talks.

The newspaper listed some of the proposed revisions as follows:

* Current prison sentences related to rape, sexual abuse and illegal abortions will be doubled to 8 years.

* Women who planned their own miscarriages after the legal month limit will receive 2 years of imprisonment instead of 1.

* Doctors who cause death of pregnant women during abortion after the 10 week legal limit will be receive at least 20 years of prison.

* Planned abortions will be available in the first 10 weeks providing that it will be done in a general hospital.

* Abortion applicants will be required to listen to an official recording with heart beats of a fetus.

* Former convicts with rape and insest crimes will never be allowed to work in public school, hospital or kindergarten.

* Doctors who oppose abortions will have the right not to practice abortions.

* Female victims who became pregnant following a crime will benefit from abortion right up to the first 20 weeks. However, the crimes were limited to rape and incest intercourse.

* Incest perpetrators will receive 5 to 12 years of prison sentence.

* Convicts charged with sexual abuse may receive compulsory medication reducing testosterone hormones if approved by Prime Ministry.

* Current prison sentences related to child abuse will rise to 6 to 15 years from 3 to 8. (ÇT)