Mut'a, or temporary, marriages are spreading in Turkey, according to Turkish Religious Committee Chairman Mohammed Nori Yalmaz. He released a statement in Assabah newspaper expressing his dissatisfaction with this type of marriage.
Yalmaz pointed out that Islam promotes family stability and marriage continuity and bans temporary marriages. He asked Turkish youth to refrain from this kind of marriage, which is in contradiction with the teachings of Islam, even though some Muslim countries may allow it.
In Mut'a, a woman and man agree to be "spouses" for a limited term, as short as a day or a night in some instances. Both have the intention to divorce when the term is up, which breaks the major condition for Islamic marriage: no intention to divorce.
Turkish Civil Law is the law governing marriage, and the state itself does not recognize marriages besides civil law marriages. Marriage departments in Turkish municipalities implement the civil law and prohibit religious marriages. These departments also enforce Section 4 of Article 237 of Turkish Criminal Law, which imposes penalties of two months imprisonment to those who conduct only religious marriage contracts and ceremonies.
The civil law also prohibits polygamy and imposes jail terms on those who practice it. However, there are 2 to 3 million Turkish males who do practice it. Usually, they register one marriage with the municipality and the other is an unofficial, religious marriage.
In fact, the Mut'a phenomenon is spreading in big cities among college students. As expected, the Turkish countryside is still conservative. Without a doubt, economic factors have promoted this type of marriage. The official and declared marriage is facing serious threats due to Mut'a marriage. Traditions are also turning young generations away from the customary marriage institution. Usually, the groom is asked to give a dowry to the father of the bride, especially in the countryside. In large cities, while there is no housing problem, there is a problem of the rising cost of living. Also, inflation due to the economic problems Turkey is facing poses a challenge. In addition, there are about 2 million Alawis, whose sect does not prohibit this type of marriage. They are concentrated in the northeastern part of the country and in the major city of Istanbul.
Whatever pressures or changes that may be responsible for the increase in this type of "temporary" Mut'a marriage, it is becoming a major problem in Turkish society. Its widespread practice is gaining momentum in other Muslim countries as well. Respect for traditional marriage is in danger and the full effect of such a societal change cannot be accurately anticipated.
