DEM Party files bill to create ministry on children’s rights

ANKARA

The Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM Party) has submitted a bill to parliament proposing the establishment of a ministry to coordinate services and policies concerning children’s rights.

Submitted by lawmaker Nevroz Uysal Aslan, the proposal argues that efforts concerning children’s education, health care, social services and protection are currently carried out by different ministries, creating coordination challenges.

The bill said a dedicated ministry would create a centralized structure to improve children’s access to fundamental rights and enable more effective implementation of child-focused policies.

Türkiye currently has 17 ministries, with child-related services mainly carried out by the Family and Social Services Ministry.

The bill’s justification referred to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Türkiye is a party, and said the principle of “the best interests of the child” should form the basis of public policies.

It also highlighted the state’s obligation to use maximum available resources to ensure the realization of children’s rights, emphasizing the need for an institutional structure dedicated to the field.

The proposal has been placed on the agenda of parliament’s Health, Family, Labor and Social Affairs Commission. It is expected to be submitted to the General Assembly after discussions.