Turkey President Says Women Not Equal to Men

"You cannot bring women and men into equal positions, that is against nature because their nature is different," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.

During a Monday meeting dedicated to women and justice he reminded of the special status attributed to women by Islam, saying women should strive to be "equivalent, rather than equal."

"For example, in work life, you cannot impose the same conditions on a pregnant woman as a man," Hürriyet Daily News quoted him as saying.

Erdogan slammed at feminists fro rejecting the "concept of motherhood".

"Our religion [Islam] has defined a position for women [in society]: Motherhood. Some people can understand this, while others can't."

He added one "cannot tell women to go out and dig the soil," because "this is against their delicate nature."

Turkey's President has often driven to outrage certain groups within society. Over the past years he had announced measures such as a ban on selling alcohol within a part of the day and has recommended that each Turkish mother should have at least three children.

Last week he made a comment on the discovery of America that came to a surprise for many, saying Muslims had reached the continent before Columbus did in 1492.