Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) has submitted a bill to parliament that will introduce a minimum age limit of 15 for social media use and extend parental leave, among other measures.
The proposal, drafted jointly by the Family and Social Services Ministry and the AKP parliamentary group, was presented to the Turkish Parliament on Wednesday.
The bill will introduce new restrictions on children’s use of social media through amendments to Law No. 5651, Turkey’s main internet law used for content removals and access blocks, requiring social media platforms to implement effective age-verification systems preventing children under 15 from opening accounts and to provide parental control tools.
Under the proposal, children under 15 will not be allowed to open social media accounts, while parents will be given the ability to intervene quickly if harmful content is encountered by older minors.
Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş said the proposed regulation aims to protect children while also requiring the involvement of parents.
“Our goal here is to protect our children and empower them,” Göktaş said. “Parents are also key stakeholders as we implement social media regulations. They need to raise awareness among their children, because if they simply hand over their phones, it will be difficult for us to achieve the success we want,” she said in statement last month.
Similar measures have been introduced or proposed in several countries as governments seek to limit minors’ exposure to social media.
Australia approved a ban on social media use for children under 16, which took effect in December. France passed a bill last month banning social media for those under 15, with plans to implement the measure before the new school year in September.
Denmark’s government and major political parties agreed in November 2025 on a ban for children under 15, aiming to put it into effect by mid-2026.
Malaysia has also banned minors under 16 from opening social media accounts, while Spain is moving toward restricting access for users under 16 and strengthening parental consent requirements.
Similar proposals are currently being discussed in other countries, including Norway, Greece and Germany.
The series of proposals shows growing concern about adolescent mental health and the role social media may play.
Lawmakers increasingly cite research linking heavy platform use to rising rates of anxiety, depression, self-harm and eating disorders among teenagers, arguing that digital exposure has outpaced existing safeguards.
The bill submitted by the AKP also includes provisions targeting the online gaming industry. Foreign-based digital game distributors with more than 100,000 daily users in Turkey will be required to appoint a local representative and classify games according to age ratings.
The measure had sparked criticism from parts of the gaming industry when the draft proposal first emerged earlier this year.
Under the bill, amendments to the Civil Servants Law and the Social Insurance and General Health Insurance Law will increase maternity leave.
If adopted, maternity leave will be extended from 16 to 24 weeks for women in both the public and private sectors, while paternity leave will be increased from five to 10 days.
The bill also introduces new restrictions on individuals convicted of certain serious crimes.
Under amendments to the Child Protection Law, people convicted of offenses such as sexual abuse, drug trafficking, obscenity, prostitution or intentional killing would be banned from working in or operating facilities where children are commonly present, including schools, daycare centers, dormitories, school buses, cafeterias, play centers and sports facilities.