News Center — Controversy over the practice of "female genital mutilation" in Turkey has reopened debate over protecting women and girls from forms of gender-based violence, after the Peoples' Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) submitted a parliamentary question to the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

DEM Party MP for Amed (Diyarbakır) in northern Kurdistan, Xalide Türkoğlu, submitted a parliamentary question to Turkish Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, requesting clarification on the issue of "female genital mutilation," following a promotional video posted by a gynecologist and obstetrician in Ağrı province that included statements related to this practice.

Türkoğlu said the World Health Organization classifies "female circumcision" as a serious violation of human rights, noting that this practice constitutes a form of gender-based violence due to the physical and psychological harm it causes to women and girls.

She added that Turkey, as a state party to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), as well as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, bears legal and moral responsibility for protecting women and girls from all forms of harmful practices that threaten their physical and psychological safety.

She also pointed out that Article 38 of the Istanbul Convention requires states parties to criminalize all forms of violence and practices aimed at harming women and girls, including female genital mutilation.

More Than 230 Million Women Subjected to This Practice Worldwide

In her parliamentary question, Türkoğlu affirmed that "female circumcision" constitutes an assault on women's bodies and a violation of their fundamental rights, noting that this practice is sometimes justified under various pretexts, such as customs, traditions, beliefs, or health and aesthetic considerations.

The question stated: "This practice, which is sought to be legitimized under labels such as tradition, faith, health, or beauty, has been inflicted on more than 230 million women around the world. According to UN data, 4.5 million girls are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation during 2026 alone."

She added that this practice has no medical necessity whatsoever, but instead constitutes a violation of bodily integrity, and may leave long-term physical and psychological effects on the women and girls subjected to it.

Criticism Over a Promotional Video in Ağrı

In the context of her parliamentary question, Türkoğlu referred to a promotional video posted by gynecologist and obstetrician Ali Çekir, who practices in Ağrı province, in which he used terms such as "female circumcision" and "removal of the clitoral hood."