Thursday, November 27, 2008

Child-Sex Case Grips Turkey Amid Religious Young-Brides Split

"Child-Sex Case Grips Turkey Amid Religious Young-Brides Split

By Ben Holland

Nov. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Huseyin Uzmez denies having sex with a 14-year-old girl. He just defends a man’s right to marry one.

Uzmez, 76, a columnist at Turkey’s Islamist Vakit newspaper, is pleading not guilty to charges of sexually abusing a minor in a case that has gripped the country of 70 million. Since his release on bail on Oct. 28, Uzmez has publicly defended Islamic rules that permit girls to wed below the legal age of 16."

More:Bloomberg.com: Germany