A 14-year-old child working at a repair shop in the southern province of Hatay died after being seriously injured in an explosion at the workplace on Sep 8.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined.
The child was taken to a hospital with serious injuries but died despite medical intervention.
Authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the explosion occurred and identify those responsible.
Child worker deaths
According to data from the Workers’ Health and Work Safety Assembly (İSİG), at least 852 children died while working in Turkey between 2013 and July 2026.
Of those children, 730 were boys and 122 were girls. Ninety-eight were refugee or migrant children.
İSİG also reported that at least 12 children died in work-related incidents in July 2026 alone.
Every year 64 children die in workplace accidents in Turkey
Legislation on child labor
Turkey’s Labor Law No. 4857 regulates the types of work that people under 18 may and may not perform.
Under the law, children who have turned 15 but are under 18 are defined as "young workers." Fourteen-year-olds who have completed primary education are also allowed to do some types of work.
Child rights advocates say the legal distinction between “child workers” and “young workers” creates a framework that permits children to work rather than preventing child labor.
They argue that age-based categories create gaps in protection and that existing regulations are insufficient to eliminate child labor.
THREE CHILD WORKERS KILLED IN A WEEK
'Businesses employ two children in place of one adult at same cost'
(NÖ/VK)
