Constitution of the Republic of Turkey | Articles 24 and 42

Mavi Boncuk | 

Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdağ said, “We have completed our preparations. It has reached the stage to be presented to Erdogan. Amendments will be made to Articles 24 and 41. If it is requested to be presented at today's MKYK meeting, we will present it, but it is not on the agenda for now.”

President Erdogan, at his party's group meeting in the past days, regarding the headscarf, "Let's provide the solution at the constitutional level, not the law." He called and said, "I am giving the instructions to my friends here today. My friends in the Constitutional Commission, especially my Minister of Justice, will quickly prepare their work together and bring them before us." had used the words. Following President Erdogan's statements, Minister of Justice Bekir Bozdag; He stated that the work of Articles 24 and 41 was completed.

The four main constitutions of Turkey since inception have been the Constitution of 1921, the Constitution of 1924, the Constitution of 1961 and the Constitution of 1982.

Anayasa

 

24. Madde (Din ve vicdan hürriyeti) [1]

Herkes, vicdan, dini inanç ve kanaat hürriyetine sahiptir.

14 üncü madde hükümlerine aykırı olmamak şartıyla ibadet, dini ayin ve törenler serbesttir.

Kimse, ibadete, dini ayin ve törenlere katılmaya, dini inanç ve kanaatlerini açıklamaya zorlanamaz; dini inanç ve kanaatlerinden dolayı kınanamaz ve suçlanamaz.

Din ve ahlak eğitim ve öğretimi Devletin gözetim ve denetimi altında yapılır. Din kültürü ve ahlak öğretimi ilk ve ortaöğretim kurumlarında okutulan zorunlu dersler arasında yer alır. Bunun dışındaki din eğitim ve öğretimi ancak, kişilerin kendi isteğine, küçüklerin de kanuni temsilcisinin talebine bağlıdır.

Kimse, Devletin sosyal, ekonomik, siyasi veya hukuki temel düzenini kısmen de olsa, din kurallarına dayandırma veya siyasi veya kişisel çıkar yahut nüfuz sağlama amacıyla her ne suretle olursa olsun dini veya din duygularını yahut dince kutsal sayılan şeyleri istismar edemez ve kötüye kullanamaz.

41. Madde (Ailenin korunması ve çocuk hakları) [2]

Aile, Türk toplumunun temelidir ve eşler arasında eşitliğe dayanır. (1)(2)

Devlet, ailenin huzur ve refahı ile özellikle ananın ve çocukların korunması ve aile planlamasının öğretimi ile uygulanmasını sağlamak için gerekli tedbirleri alır, teşkilatı kurar.

(Ek fıkra: 7/5/2010-5982/4 md.) Her çocuk, korunma ve bakımdan yararlanma, yüksek yararına açıkça aykırı olmadıkça, ana ve babasıyla kişisel ve doğrudan ilişki kurma ve sürdürme hakkına sahiptir.

(Ek fıkra: 7/5/2010-5982/4 md.) Devlet, her türlü istismara ve şiddete karşı çocukları koruyucu tedbirleri alır.

(1) Bu maddenin kenar başlığı “I. Ailenin korunması” iken, 7/5/2010 tarihli ve 5982 sayılı Kanunun 4 üncü maddesiyle metne işlendiği şekilde değiştirilmiştir.

(2) Bu fıkraya, 3/10/2001 tarih ve 4709 sayılı Kanunun 17 nci maddesiyle ,”ve eşler arasında eşitliğe dayanır”ibaresi eklenmiş ve metne işlenmiştir.

The official translation published by the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Department of Laws and Resolutions, May 2019. 

[1] VI. Freedom of religion and conscience 

ARTICLE 24- 

Everyone has the freedom of conscience, religious belief and conviction. Acts of worship, religious rites and ceremonies shall be conducted freely, as long as they do not violate the provisions of Article 14. No one shall be compelled to worship, or to participate in religious rites and ceremonies, or to reveal religious beliefs and convictions, or be blamed or accused because of his religious beliefs and convictions. Religious and moral education and instruction shall be conducted under state supervision and control. Instruction in religious culture and morals shall be one of the compulsory lessons in the curricula of primary and secondary schools. Other religious education and instruction shall be subject to the individual’s own desire, and in the case of minors, to the request of their legal representatives. No one shall be allowed to exploit or abuse religion or religious feelings, or things held sacred by religion, in any manner whatsoever, for the purpose of personal or political interest or influence, or for even partially basing the fundamental, social, economic, political, and legal order of the State on religious tenets. 

[2] II. Right and duty of education 

ARTICLE 42- 

No one shall be deprived of the right of education. The scope of the right to education shall be defined and regulated by law. Education shall be conducted along the lines of the principles and reforms of Atatürk, based on contemporary scientific and educational principles, under the supervision and control of the State. Educational institutions contravening these principles shall not be established. The freedom of education does not relieve the individual from loyalty to the Constitution. Primary education is compulsory for all citizens of both sexes and is free of charge in state schools. 41 The principles governing the functioning of private primary and secondary schools shall be regulated by law in keeping with the standards set for the state schools. (Paragraph added on February 2, 2008; Act No. 5735, and annulled by the decision of the Constitutional Court dated June 5, 2008 numbered E. 2008/16, K. 2008/116) The State shall provide scholarships and other means of assistance to enable students of merit lacking financial means to continue their education. The State shall take necessary measures to rehabilitate those in need of special education so as to render such people useful to society. Training, education, research, and study are the only activities that shall be pursued at institutions of education. These activities shall not be obstructed in any way. No language other than Turkish shall be taught as a mother tongue to Turkish citizens at any institution of education. Foreign languages to be taught in institutions of education and the rules to be followed by schools conducting education in a foreign language shall be determined by law. The provisions of international treaties are reserved.

Constitution of the Republic of Turkey [],  7 November 1982, is also available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6b5be0.html [accessed 2 November 2022]