Turkey rules 'rebel girls' feminist children's book to be treated like porn

Turkey has ruled that the international best-selling book "Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls" should have the same restrictions as pornography.

The Turkish government's board for the protection of minors from obscene publications argued that sections of the book "will have a detrimental influence on the minds of those under the age of 18."

The book offers young girls inspirational stories about important, yet often forgotten, women in history, and has been published in 47 languages.

The ruling means that, in Turkey, the book can only be sold to over-18s and cannot be publicly displayed in shops. 

"Girls deserve to grow up surrounded by more female role models. They deserve to grow up thinking that they can be anything they want,"  US-based author, Francesca Cavallo said to AFP.

"When a government is scared by a children's book promoting equality, that means that promoting these messages through children's literature can have and is having an impact, and it makes me even more motivated to keep fighting every day."

Russia has also previously expressed its reservation about the book, which lead to the decision to censor the story of a transgender girl, said Cavallo. 

The Turkish publishers' association protestes Turkey’s ruling and released a statement saying it was a “danger” to “freedom of expression and press, and a threat to the principles of a democratic society".

The book's Turkish publisher told AFP they were waiting for the decision to be officially communicated to them before commenting.