A Discussion of the Impact of Laws of Abortion

Gebeliğin Sonlandırılması Hukukuna Farklı Yaklaşımlar

Neslihan ÖZKERİM GÜNER

Abortion has been a problematic issue for a long time and is forbidden in many societies. There are several different approaches to the abortion issue. This article explains religious, feminist and ethical approaches to abortion in order to understand the abortion issue according to these different perspectives. This paper argues that none of these approaches are independent from each other. For instance, feminist ideas respond to ethical and religious ideas, while the ethical approach often refers to the religious approach. These approaches have affected regulations in many countries as well as public attitudes on abortion. As a result of this variety of influences, some countries have absolute prohibition of abortion, while others have regulations permitting the practice within the range of light to strict limitations.

Abortion Law, Feminist Idea, Ethic, Religious Approach to Abortion.

Gebeliğin sonlandırılması hususuna yaklaşım toplumdan topluma farklılık göstermektedir. Gebeliğin sonlandırılması, uzun süredir tartışmalı bir husus olup birçok ülkede yasaklanmıştır. Bu çalışmada gebeliğin sonlandırılması ile ilgili dini, etik ve feminist yaklaşımlar incelenecektir. Bu yaklaşımlar, ülkelerin gebeliğin sonlandırılmasına ilişkin düzenlemelerini ve toplumsal tutumunu etkilemektedir. Bu yaklaşımların etkisiyle gebeliğin sonlandırılması pratiği bazı ülkelerde tamamen yasaklanmışken, başka bazı ülkelerde belli sınırlar içerisinde düzenlenmiştir. Özellikle dini yaklaşımların etkisi ile gebeliğin sonlandırılmasının tamamen yasaklandığı görülmektedir. Ancak bu kurallar da her din içerisinde, hatta mezhep içerisinde farklılık göstermektedir. Etik yaklaşım bakımından, insan olma yeteneği göz önünde bulundurulup belli sınırlar içinde gebeliğin sonlandırılmasına olumlu bakıldığı görülmektedir. Feminist yaklaşımın ise bu hususa fetusun değil gebe kadının merkezde olduğu bir tutumla, ‘benim bedenim; benim kararım’ bakış açısıyla baktığı görülmektedir.

Gebeliğin Sonlandırılması, Feminist Yaklaşım, Etik Yaklaşım, Dini Yaklaşım.

INTRODUCTION

Abortion is the “termination of pregnancy before the foetus is capable of survival outside the uterus”.¹ In the legal context, it refers to induced expulsion of the foetus or embryo.² While the foetus refers to “the developing young in the uterus, specifically the unborn offspring in the postembryonic period, which in humans is from the third month after fertilization until birth”, embryo is defined as “the developing organism from the fourth day after fertilization to the end of the eighth week.”³

Abortion has long been a controversial issue and is still problematic in some societies. The approaches to abortion are different when viewed from ethical, moral, religious or feminist perspectives. The problem of abortion is based on the foetal right to life or the right of woman to choose and control her own body. Mainly discussions are centred on the status of the foetus as a human being, and the morality of abortion. Some think of a foetus as a human being from the point of conception, and others think that because it is dependent on its mother until birth, it cannot be considered as a human being. As a result, some see abortion as murder, and others argue that it is a woman’s right to choose.

Because of the controversy over the foetus’ status as a human being and the morality of abortion, it has been forbidden in some countries. According to the Centre for Reproductive Rights, only 61 countries in the World allow legal abortion without restriction.⁴ Generally, Northern countries have more liberal abortion laws, whereas abortion is prohibited in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Southern Asia.⁵ Usually the prohibition of abortion is based on religious grounds rather than ethical or moral arguments.