Conflict of marriage laws

Turkey's Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet) slammed matchmaking TV shows in its Friday sermon on Feb. 3, saying they undermined the country's values. 

Diyanet delivered its Friday sermon on the topic of marriage, ruling that marriage should strictly be based on loyalty and family values.

The head of a conservative foundation in Turkey has stirred outrage after suggesting that children as young as six-years-old could marry other children or adults, with a number of NGOs and opposition lawmakers preparing to file a complaint for his remarks.

Religious marriages conducted without legal marriages harm women and lead to child brides, Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) head Mehmet Görmez has said.

Speaking live on private broadcaster CNNTürk, Görmez admitted there was an ongoing problem in Turkey with religious marriages being conducted without the legal equivalent.

Nearly 60% of the babies born in Bulgaria in 2013, or a total of 39 375, were born out of wedlock, according to the National Statistical Institute (NSI).

In 70% of the cases, information about the father was available, according to NSI data, as cited by Darik radio.

In 2013, the number of marriages stood at around 20 000, compared to a number of 82 826 marriages in 1945.

The European Union's highest court rejected on Thursday a German rule conditioning visas for Turks looking to reunite with their spouses to a basic knowledge of German.
      
The case was brought against Germany by Naime Doğan, who in January last year was refused a visa to join her husband, a 15-year German resident, by Germany's embassy in Ankara.