Syrian Bedia Amori married Abdülhakim Tapan, who according to his criminal record has committed 18 crimes, about three weeks ago in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa, located near Turkey’s border with Syria. Tapan’s family paid TL 32,000 to take the girl. About 20 days after they were married through an “imam nikahı,” which is performed by a religious leader but is invalid if done before a civil ceremony, Amori told her family that she wanted to return to her home in Syria. Amori’s family went to the Şanlıurfa Police Department and asked for help to get their daughter back, claiming she had been abused at the hands of her husband. Gendarmes entered Tapan’s house and rescued the child bride.
In her testimony to police, Amori said Tapan drank alcohol, made her drink alcohol and take drugs and forced her to watch pornographic movies. She also said he beat her when she resisted him. Also giving testimony, her family said they had allowed their daughter to marry Tapan, who they met through a man who they knew as a doctor, after seeing Tapan pray and believing him to be a religious person.
Police detained Tapan, but he was later released by prosecutors while the Syrian family returned to their homeland, taking Amori with them.
