Following a public outcry, Turkey's government has withdrawn a proposal that critics feared would legitimize the practice of men marrying underage girls.

The proposal, which was scheduled to undergo a final vote on Tuesday, would have deferred sentencing or punishment for sexual assault in cases where there was no physical force and where the victim and perpetrator were married. The government said it would now submit the proposal for review to a parliamentary committee.

The age of consent in Turkey is 18, although courts permit civil marriages for people as young as 16. Many younger people are married in Islamic ceremonies.