Polygamy in Turkey

Turkey is a predominantly Muslim nation that has abolished polygamy, which was officially criminalized with the adoption of the Turkish Civil Code in 1926, a milestone in Atatürk's secularist reforms. Penalties for illegal polygamy are up to 2 years imprisonment.^[1] Turkey has long been known for its promotion of secularism^[2][3][4] and later introduced even stricter bars on polygamy. Even the ruling moderate AK Parti effectively banned polygamists from entering or living in the country.^[5]

Postcard of a Turkish Romani man with his wives and children, in front of their tent in Smyrna (today İzmir) in 1903

Although illegal polygamy is very rare in Turkish society, the practice still exists in the Kurdish-populated rural southeast.^[6][7]