Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 2024, Publicación: 113ª reunión CIT (2025)

Convenio sobre las peores formas de trabajo infantil, 1999 (núm. 182) - Türkiye (Ratificación : 2001)

The Committee notes the observations of the Turkish Confederation of Employers’ Associations (TİSK) and the Confederation of Turkish Trade Unions (TURK-IS) communicated with the Government’s report as well as the observations of the Confederation of Public Employees Trade Unions (KESK) received on 1 September 2023.

Article 3 of the Convention. Worst forms of child labour. Clause (a). All forms of slavery or practices similar to slavery. Begging. In response to its previous comments, the Committee notes the Government’s information in its report that in 2019, 454 cases of children used for the purpose of begging were identified and 683 prosecutions were carried out; in 2020, 279 children were identified and 359 prosecutions were carried out; in 2021, 374 children were identified and 402 prosecutions were carried out; in 2022, 247 children were identified and 361 prosecutions were carried out; and in the first half of 2023, 125 children were identified and 212 prosecutions were carried out. The Committee requests the Government to provide information on the specific penalties imposed under section 229 of the Penal Code for offences related to the use of children for begging, as well as the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out and convictions handed down in this regard.

Clause(b). Use, procuring or offering of a child for prostitution. With regard to the Committee’s previous comments concerning information on the penalties imposed under section 227(1) of the Penal Code which prohibits encouraging, facilitating or acting as an intermediary for the prostitution of a child, the Committee notes from the table detailing the legal processes in relation to various crimes under the Penal Code provided by the Government that from June 2019 to August 2023, a total of 582 suspects were convicted in relation to 698 crimes committed under section 227(1) of the Penal Code. The Committee however observes that the table does not provide any information regarding the penalties imposed for the above offence. The Committee therefore once again requests the Government to provide information on the specific penalties imposed under section 227(1) of the Penal Code as well as the number of investigations and prosecutions carried out and convictions handed down for the offences related to encouraging, facilitating or acting as an intermediary for the prostitution of a child under section 227(1) of the Penal Code.

Article 7(2). Effective and time-bound measures. Clauses (a) and (d). Preventing the engagement of children in the worst forms of child labour and children at special risk. Syrian refugee children. The Committee previously noted the various measures undertaken to protect and assist Syrian refugee children through the provision of education and livelihood support. The Committee encouraged the Government to continue its efforts in this regard.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that the Conditional Cash Transfer for Education (CCTE) Programme which was implemented by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services in 2003 was extended to Syrian and other refugee children in mid-2017. As of September 2018, the CCTE for Refugees which follows the same rules and regulations as is applied for Turkish families, also reached children enrolled in the Accelerated Learning Programme (ALP) which is intended for out-of-school children as a transition pathway into formal education. Accordingly, the families received cash support every two months on the condition that the child attended school regularly. This programme which is implemented nationwide in all 81 provinces includes a strategic child protection component to ensure the continued school enrolment and attendance of the most vulnerable refugee children as well as their referral to child protection services, if needed. The outreach teams consisting of social workers and translators assess and identify children and families in need and address them in a personalised and systematic manner. The Committee notes that, as of December 2022, 811,118 children benefitted from the CCTE Refugee programme. The Committee also notes the statement in the communication of TISK that the Vocational Up-skilling Programme (MEK) has been initiated within the context of the Ministry of Education and UNICEF Collaborative Working Plan 2021–25. The MEK aims to assist and direct Turkish children as well as Syrian and other refugee children aged 14–17 years, who, after completing basic education are unable to continue their education, to register at vocational training centres thereby enabling them to achieve qualification/skills certification and a higher school diploma. In this regard, the Committee notes from a UNICEF document entitled “Inclusion of Syrian Refugee Children into the national education system” that as of 2021, Turkey hosts a total of 1.7 million Syrian refugee children and that since 2017 the Turkish Government has committed to integrating all school-aged Syrian refugee children into the national public school system. The Committee welcomes the efforts taken by the Government and encourages it to continue to take the necessary measures to ensure access to free basic education and vocational training for all Syrian and other refugee children so as to prevent them from engaging in the worst forms of child labour. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken in this regard and the results achieved.

Clause (d). Children at special risk. Children living or working in the streets. The Committee previously noted the establishment of Mobile Teams and their activities to identify, withdraw and reintegrate children living or working in the streets as well as the hotlines “Alo 183 Social Support Line” and “156 Gendarmerie Emergency Line” which receive reports of children working or living in the streets and refer them to appropriate services.

The Committee notes the Government’s information that Children are Safe Teams have been established across the country to identify children who are working, begging or living in the street and ensure that they benefit from the appropriate social services and assistance through the Regulation on Working Procedures and Principles of Children are Safe Teams approved on 16 March 2023. The Children are Safe Teams carry out monitoring activities as well as detection and intervention activities to protect children in different risk groups. The Children are Safe Teams work in collaboration with the Family Information System (ABS) which records information about children identified as at-risk either on the streets or within schools, as well as those integrated into the monitoring system. The ABS eventually generates statistical tables and data related to the services and appropriate actions to be taken. Recalling that children living or working in the streets are particularly exposed to the worst forms of child labour, the Committee requests the Government to pursue its efforts to remove children from the streets and to ensure their rehabilitation and social integration. It requests the Government to continue to provide information on the measures taken in this regard as well as on the number of children living or working in the street who have been detected, withdrawn and rehabilitated by the Children are Safe Teams and Mobile Teams.