A file picture taken on August 8 shows a woman walking past a campaign poster of Erdogan in Istanbul. Erdogan was accused of blatant sexism after declaring that women are not equal to men and claiming feminists in Turkey reject the concept of motherhood.

AFP/DPA/Istanbul

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was accused yesterday of blatant sexism after declaring that women are not equal to men and claiming that feminists in Turkey reject the idea of motherhood.
The devoutly Muslim president said that biological differences meant women and men cannot serve the same functions, adding that manual work was unsuitable for the “delicate nature” of women.
His comments ignited a firestorm of controversy on Twitter and one well-known female TV news anchor even took the unusual step of condemning the remarks during a bulletin.
“Our religion (Islam) has defined a position for women (in society): motherhood,” Erdogan said at a summit in Istanbul on justice for women, speaking to an audience, including his own daughter Sumeyye. “Some people can understand this, while others can’t. You cannot explain this to feminists because they don’t accept the concept of motherhood ... they do not care about this.”
He recalled: “I would kiss my mother’s feet because they smelled of paradise. She would glance coyly and cry sometimes.”
“Motherhood is something else,” he said, claiming that it should be a women’s priority because Islam exalts women as “mothers”.
He went on to say that women and men cannot be treated equally “because it goes against the laws of nature”.
“Their characters, habits and physiques are different ... you cannot place a mother breastfeeding her baby on an equal footing with men.
“You cannot make women work in the same jobs as men do, as in Communist regimes. You cannot give them a shovel and tell them to do their work. This is against their delicate nature.”
Erdogan was apparently referring to the practice during and after World War II for women in Communist states like the USSR to do heavy manual work in factories or in roles such as tram drivers.
He complained that in previous decades in Turkey women in Anatolian villages had done the back-breaking work while their menfolk idled away the time.
“Wasn’t it the case in Anatolia? Our poor mothers suffered immensely and got hunchbacks while the men were playing cards and rolling dice at teahouses,” he said. “What women need is to be able to be equivalent, rather than equal. Because equality turns the victim into an oppressor and vice versa.”
Erdogan, 60, has been married since 1978 to his wife Emine, with whom he has had two sons and two daughters.
Aylin Nazliaka, an MP from main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) said that Erdogan “ostracised” women by portraying them as “delicate”, “weak” and “powerless” human beings and limiting their role to the “motherhood”.
“Erdogan has publicly committed a hate crime ... but I will continue to fight this man who sees no difference between terrorists and feminists,” she said in a written statement.
Sule Zeybek, an anchorwoman of Turkish broadcaster Kanal D, hit back at Erdogan’s comments live on television during a news bulletin.
“I am a feminist and thank God I’m a mum. I wouldn’t kiss my mother’s feet but I have great respect for her,” she said.
The Islamic-rooted government of Erdogan has long been accused by critics of seeking to erode the country’s secular principles and limiting the civil liberties of women.
Erdogan has drawn the ire of feminist groups for declaring that every woman in Turkey should have three children and with proposals to limit abortion rights, the morning-after pill and Caesarian sections.
Seen by critics as increasingly authoritarian, he has repeatedly lashed out personally at female journalists who displeased him.
But the government’s attitude towards women came under even greater scrutiny after Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc caused a furore in August by suggesting women should not laugh loudly in public.
Turkey’s female labour force participation rate is relatively low, at just 29%, according to the World Bank, compared to 54% for Germany and 57% in the US.
Feminist groups called for protests in Istanbul, Ankara and other cities in light of Erdogan’s remarks and concerns over domestic violence.
Internet users took to social media sites including Twitter using the hashtag #kadinerkekesittir, or women and men are equal, to express their discontent.
In 2013, 214 women were killed by their partners in Turkey, according to independent news portal Bianet.
Rights groups are concerned the authorities are not doing enough to protect vulnerable women.
Activists also say that government officials’ remarks about women and how they should be treated leave them exposed to violence.