The statement of the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden released over social media is first of all improper for a Minister of Foreign Affairs as it is based on inaccurate and groundless information. Our Government is strongly determined to put an end to child molestation and fight against it. In fact, the TGNA had adopted an Act which increased the penalty imposed on the offenders abusing the children under the age of fifteen. However, the Constitutional Court quashed it for being disproportional and gave the TGNA a period of six months for a new regulation. The Ministry of Justice is working on it. But, the law is already in effect; that is the law put in effect before the aggravated law.
There is no legal vacuum regarding this matter. An approach implying that a Government acting in such a sensitive way regarding child molestation overlooks the molestation of children under the age of fifteen cannot be associated with good will. And it is also scandalous that a Minister of Foreign Affairs posts such a tweet based on such inaccurate reports. Our Ambassador will meet her today. We will also summon the Ambassador of Sweden to our Ministry. I had already requested to talk with her today. I will talk to her personally about this mistake on the phone. This is not admissible. A Minister of Foreign Affairs should be responsible and should not lie. She should not have such an accusatory attitude of Turkey. Criticism is acceptable; however, this is defamation and fabrication. We have been stating this recently: this is a reflection of racism and Islamophobia in Europe. It is also worrying that this campaign of defamation has spread to Sweden from Austria, which is the capital of racism and Islamophobia.