Analay: Overhaul Needed In Child Protection
Last week, mixed with fear that some of the children could have been kidnapped, it was revealed that 34 children listed at children's homes in Diyarbakir were unaccounted for. Over the weekend, Turkish newspapers quoted a DHA news agency report that a midnight inspection conducted at an educational home for boys operated by the Social Services Directorate in the western Sakarya province revealed that 15 more children were "missing" there.
"The high number of children in Turkey who need protection and the lack of a stable policy of the state on this issue makes this problem insolvable" Analay told bianet while evaluating the report of missing children in Diyarbakir.
He said that Turkey's Social Services and the Protection of Children Institution (SHCEK) were inefficient and that an overhaul of the legislation for this institution upholding the highest interests of children was required. "Unless these improvements are made" he said, "such incidents will continue".
Analay stressed that the full responsibility of children in need of care should not be placed on the SHCEK but shared also by civilian society organisations which, he said, should be allowed to control, monitor and inspect children's homes. Analay added that such a participation would benefit the children both within and outside of the protection of the institution.
The lawyer argued that problems in practically enforcing Turkey's Law to Protect Children (CKK) triggered problems in this area explaining that "the institutions foreseen under the CKK have still not been formed. Trained personnel are not being employed at institutions related to children. These institutions need to be created and made operational as soon as possible. The state should also fulfil its responsibility in following up on children leaving the institutions".
Kaya: They may be kidnapped
News of 34 children missing in Diyarbakir followed an investigation launched by the Diyarbakir Governor's Office Human Rights Provincial Board on request of the Prime Ministry Human Rights Supreme Board. The investigation was launched after independent allegations of disappearances were made from social services operated children's homes and showed that 34 minors, including 18 girls, were missing from homes for 0-12 and 13-18 age group children.
According to report in the Turkish daily Milliyet newspaper Diyarbakir Governor's Office Human Rights Provincial Board member Mehmet Kaya has said they fear that the children who are missing may have been kidnapped.
"There are very young children among those missing" he explained. "One might say 13-18 year old children ran away but how could 2-3 year old children have ran off? We have written to the Police Directorate Child Branch on the fate of these children but have not received a response for two years."
Kaya added, "We don't really like the thought but effectively we hear that some of the children from our region are taken to the west [of Turkey] to be used a pickpockets and thieves. This situation makes us concerned".
Kahveci: We would know if there was a problem
Diyarbaki'r deputy governor Hidir Kahveci confirmed there were missing children in the province and said:
"This issue was taken up after 4 girls ran away from an educational home. We wanted to go a bit deeper and learn how many children had ran away or went missing until now. We learned that 34 children were unaccounted for. Whether these children ran off or were kidnapped is to be determined by the police. But until now there was no complaint related to these children from their families or any other places. If the children were a problem where they went to, I think we would have known in a short time".
15 more missing in Sakarya
Over the weekend, Turkish newspapers quoted a DHA news agency report that a midnight inspection conducted at an educational home for boys operated by the Social Services Directorate in the western Sakarya province revealed that 15 more children were "missing" there.
According to a report in the mass circulation Turkish daily Hurriyet, provincial governor Nuri Okutan made an unannounced midnight visit to the educational home for 12-18 year old boys and after inviting the director Cafer Taymaz there, went over all the records and determined that 15 minors listed as present were in fact not on the premises.
Taymaz reportedly told the governor that 6 of the teenagers and children had been missing for a long time while 9 "came to the home from time to time". The governor later told journalists that instructions had been issued for the missing children to be located and placed under social care. (KO/II/YE)