The Turkish government has announced it is reviewing a controversial bill which would pardon men convicted of child sex abuse if they marry their victims.

The bill produced a public backlash with thousands of people taking to the streets at the weekend to protest, and it was condemned internationally.

Critics claimed the bill - which was scheduled for a final vote on Tuesday - would legitimise child rape and lead to more child brides.

United Nations agencies including UNICEF issued a joint statement on Monday warning the proposal "would weaken the country's ability to combat sexual abuse and child marriages".

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the government will now be submitting the proposal for review to a parliamentary committee.


Image: Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim says the bill will be reviewed

"We are taking this bill in the parliament back to the commission in order to allow for the broad consensus the president requested, and to give time for the opposition parties to develop their proposals," he said.

"This commission will evaluate and take into account all sides and surely a solution will be found."

If it had become law, it would have led to the release from prison of men guilty of sexually assaulting a child if the act was committed without "force, threat, or any other restriction on consent", and if the aggressor then married his victim.

The legal age of consent in Turkey is 18, but child marriage is widespread.

The bill was attacked by opposition parties when it was approved at an initial parliamentary reading last week.

The government said it had been trying to help families where the men involved were not rapists or sexual aggressors, but were unaware of the law.

Image: The climbdown follows demonstrations in Turkey's main cities

Mr Yildirim insisted the proposals were aimed at improving the situation for 3,800 families who were "forced to grow up without the love" of their jailed fathers.

"The children are paying the price of their parents' mistakes," he said.

However, campaigners have accused the government of failing to do enough to stamp out child marriage and of being more interested in encouraging an increase in the birth rate.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called for a compromise to be reached.

In June, he urged women to have at least three children and once described birth control as treason.

The climbdown is a rare concession by Mr Erdogan's Justice and Development Party(AKP), which has dominated Turkish politics since coming to power in 2002.