This 2017 Turkish marriage guide controversy remains a critical flashpoint in global women's rights discussions, still sparking debate in 2025-26.

In an utter nonsensical piece of advice ever given by an official body ever, the Turkish guide for marriages proposes that Women need to beautify themselves to avoid getting beaten up by their husbands. The guide continuous with atrocity when it allows the Turkish to marry with consent from the age of 10.  This marriage guide, titled ‘Marriage and Family Life’ has irked social communal circles all over the country and has invited mass protests. The said book went to solidify the guideline by following it up with this – ‘women should serve their husbands coffee while wearing “flirtatious” outfits’. The guide handed out by former religious affairs department employee Hasan Caliskan, in two districts, drawing the ire of MP Fatma Kaplan Hurriyet, who went to express dismay over such guidance, as she said that the guide considers women as sheep.!

According to Sol International, she said: “My hairs stood on end as I continued to read it. “The book mentions the details of the nuptial night. It mentions ‘the right of sexual exploitation’, obedience to the husband, and it says that ‘the good woman is one who is obedient’, that a woman cannot go out without the knowledge of her husband, and that she must wear flirtatious dresses and try to please her husband when he beats her.

“If I read this book to you, which has been completely built upon the man’s sexual life with expressions in it, such as ‘If you do not abide by these methods, your child will be an imbecile’, ‘If you talk while having sex, your child will be a stutterer’, or ‘The wife must be skillful in domestic work and doing her husband’s work’, you would blush like a tomato.” The 394-page manual was said to have been handed to new couples in the city of Kutahya, and a similar version given out in Pamukkale.

(Source: Independent)

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Turkish marriage guide actually say about women dressing?

The guide explicitly instructs women to wear ‘flirtatious’ outfits and serve coffee to husbands in suggestive clothing. It frames this as women’s duty to please their husbands and avoid beatings, promoting harmful gender stereotypes.

At what age does the Turkish marriage guide permit marriage for girls?

The controversial guide allows marriage with consent from age 10, which violates international child protection standards and UN conventions on child rights, sparking widespread global outrage.

Who created the Turkish marriage guide and why was it distributed?

Former Turkish religious affairs department employee Hasan Caliskan created and distributed the guide titled ‘Marriage and Family Life’ in two districts, presenting it as official religious guidance on marriage relationships.

What are the main criticisms of this marriage guide from Turkish MPs?

MP Fatma Kaplan Hurriyet criticized the guide for treating women as sheep, objectifying them through explicit sexual references, promoting marital violence, and denying women basic freedoms like leaving home without permission.

Why was this Turkish marriage guide considered so dangerous for women?

The guide normalizes domestic violence, sexual coercion, child marriage, and complete female subservience to men, codifying harmful patriarchal practices that deny women autonomy, dignity, and basic human rights protections.