Subject: Stoning of Semsiye Allak in the village of Yalim, Turkey

According to numerous reports in the international press, 35-year old Semsiye Allak was stoned in the Kurdish village of Yalim in Turkey by her family when she became pregnant after being raped by a married man. The woman died seven months after the stoning, alone and abandoned in hospital, while the man was killed on the spot by her relatives who took the law into their own hands.

This appalling deed is a further example of the tragic consequences of gender discrimination which derive from religious fanaticism and intolerance. The systematic violation of women's human rights through the imposition of violent and degrading punishments which often result in death calls for an immediate practical response. In present-day Turkey, which is on the way to negotiating its accession to the EU, political measures should be taken to eliminate crimes of 'honour'.

Will the Commission exert pressure on the Turkish Government to adopt stringent legislation against crimes of honour and taking the law into one's own hands, and to bring those responsible to justice? Will the Commission also intervene to protect women's human rights and bring an end to the degrading treatment of women and the perpetuation of violence and discrimination against them?