The Turkish Parliament has established a committee to investigate child murders and abuse taking place in the country in a move to address rising concerns over the issue, according to reports by the state-run Anadolu and ANKA news agencies on Wednesday.
The 22-member committee, which will focus on protecting children from violence, neglect and exploitation as well as identifying effective measures to safeguard their mental and physical well-being, will work for three months.
The pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency said in a report on Tuesday that the development came after the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its ally, the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), last week rejected a parliamentary motion by the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) to form a committee to investigate child murders. The committee was created after persistent calls from multiple political parties in the parliament to combat child-related violence were merged into a single motion.
Nationalist opposition İYİ (Good) Party lawmaker Selcan Taşçı recently revealed alarming statistics in child abuse cases, which she said had doubled between 2015 and 2023, while the prosecution of such cases has declined.
Calling for stronger legal measures to deter repeat offenders, the MP emphasized the need for legislative reforms and an “ethical revolution” to ensure justice is served in cases of child abuse.
CHP MP Asu Kaya criticized the AKP and the MHP for previously rejecting similar proposals aimed at preventing child murders, stating that history is repeating itself because the government has not taken decisive action.
“This Parliament has reviewed reports detailing preventive measures for child murders, … yet no lessons have been learned by those in power,” Kaya said.
DEM Party Mardin lawmaker Salihe Aydeniz invoked the recent murder of 8-year-old Narin Güran, a case that deeply shocked the public. Narin was found dead in a river in the southeastern Turkish province of Diyarbakır last month after 19-day-long search.
She said it would be better for the parliament to discuss how to improve living standards in Turkey, the welfare of its people and social progress rather than forming a committee to address child murders.
“The ruling party’s misogynistic and war-driven policies are causing the gradual decay of society. In this country, even children are forced to fight for survival. A government that cannot or will not ensure the safety of its children serves no purpose,” the MP added.
Over the past months Turkey has been shaken by frequent reports of acts of violence and murders of children and women.
In the latest incidents, Sıla Yeniçeri, a 2-year-old baby girl who was hospitalized a month ago in Tekirdağ after showing signs of sexual abuse and violence, succumbed to her injuries on Monday, and two young women were brutally killed by a 19-year-old man in İstanbul on October 4, which again sparked a debate about the effectiveness of government policies for protecting women and children, who are frequent victims of acts of violence in the country.