Turkish man sentenced to 7 years in prison for selling daughter

PanARMENIAN.Net - A man who sold his 12-year-old daughter to a 54-year-old man in return for TL 5,000 has been sentenced to seven years, nine months in prison, while the man who bought the girl has been given 24 years.

According to Today’s Zaman, the court convicted O.Y., the father of then-12-year-old E.Y, of “aiding the crime of restricting one's freedom for sexual purposes and sexual assault” and sentenced him to seven years, nine months, 22 days in prison. The court also convicted Y.A, the man who bought the girl, of “depriving one of freedom for purposes of sexual abuse” and “continuous sexual assault.” Y.A. was sentenced to 24 years.

The incident was picked up by the Turkish media in February but took place six years ago. The two men reportedly signed a handwritten contract, a copy of which was published in several Turkish newspapers on Sunday.

The contract, dated Feb. 12, 2006, features a paragraph written by O. Y. that reads: “I have sold my daughter for TL 5,000. I handed my daughter E.Y. to Yusuf A. on Feb.12, 2006. I have received the payment in cash. My daughter will be the under control of Yusuf A. from the above-mentioned date on. I give my consent as a father. The contract has been signed. The girl has also given consent and signed the contract.”

Y. A., who divorced his wife and has four children, allegedly took the girl to a hotel in Kemer, Antalya, and raped her. E.Y. continued to attend school while being held captive by Yusuf A. The girl's situation was discovered by a guidance counselor at the young girl's school when students were asked to write down something that bothered them as part of an assignment. E.Y. promptly left the classroom in tears. She then told her teacher that she had been sold by her father to her brother's boss and the teacher reported the case to the police.

The father had earlier said Y.A. had introduced him as a member of the Turkish “deep state” and had told him that he was going to “train” his daughter for secret state services. Testifying in court, Y.A. had earlier denied having sexual intercourse with E.Y.