IZMIR - Saying that approximately 2.000.000 children are worked in Turkey, HDP Vice Co-chair who is responsible from the Labor Commission Şaziye Köse pointed to the Children’s Commission established by her party and said, ‘’As the party, we will bring up our own child policy to the agenda’’.

 

Due to the war, many peoples in the Middle East are forced to migrate and settle in different countries. Especially as a result of the civil war in Syria, hundreds of thousands of people had to leave their lands. Turkey is one of the countries where the Syrian population has settled the most with the migration wave. Syrian refugees, whom the AKP saw as ‘’vote’’ during elections from time to time, became the focus of exploitation for businesses under ‘’cheap labor’’. Refugees are not employed even for 1000 TR in the conditions of Turkey, where purchasing power is declining. Especially the labor of refugee women and children is exploited.

 

According to the ‘’information’ in the 2022 budget proposal of the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, the number of children worked in 2020 is 12.457. It is envisaged that this number will reach 27.000 by the end of 2021, 28.000 by the end of 2022 and 29.000 by the end of 2023. However, according to the Occupational Health and Safety Assembly report titled as ‘’Forbid the Child Labor!’’, at least 2.000.000 children are worked in Turkey. It is stated that this figure is about 5.000.000 in the summer months.

 

In addition to these data, women and children who are employed in atmosphere where there is no occupational safety, lose their lives in workplace homicides. The last example of this was 13-year-old Ula Kerem, who died in a citrus factory in Mersin on November 17.

 

Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) Vice Co-chair who is responsible from the Labor Commission Şaziye Köse drew attention to the reality of children being worked in Turkey.

 

There are no deterrent penalties

 

Stating that there is a penalty for employing children under the age of 15 in her evaluation, Şaziye said, ‘’However, employers in our country use it very well. Because the fine they received is like 2000 liras. That’s why they keep employing. Also, after hunger and poverty have risen to such dimensions, children inevitably enter this field as a work force to meet the needs of the house and to support the house’’.

 

‘The real figure is 2.000.000’

 

Pointing out that there are hundreds of thousands of children working as interns in vocational high schools and in seasonal agricultural work, Şaziye pointed out that the actual number of ‘’children worked’’ is 2.000.000. Şaziye also mentioned workplace homicides in her words and said, ‘’When we spread it over all years, this figure is much higher. Children’s nutrition, shelter, self-development, education are the matters included in the declaration of all children’s rights and that we are promised to. However, it is questionable how many children have a healthy nutrition and how many have sheltering conditions’’.

 

‘We will bring up our child policy to the agenda’

 

Şaziye stated that they formed a Children’s Commission as HDP and said, ‘’As a party, we will bring up our own child policy to the agenda in all steps towards children’s rights, and we will be followers and fight for their rights. We will be followers of this with the struggle, both at the parliamentary level and on the street, to be banned child labor and at least ensure that they comply with their own laws’’.