If a man refers to his wife as “mother” or “sister” their marriage should be deemed divorced, Turkey’s religious state institution has said, according to a report in the country’s leading newspaper, The Independent reports.
The Directorate of Religious Affairs reportedly issued the fatwa – a non-binding but authoritative opinion – on its website.
“If a man tells his wife that he sees her as a mother or sister, the man will be considered divorced from his wife. However, if they have not divorced before, they may come together with a new marriage,” it said, according to Hurriyet, Turkey's largest mainstream newspaper.
The institute, commonly known as Diyanet, has no power under Turkish law to issue a divorce. Civil courts grant separations under the 1926 Turkish civil code law.
