Journalist Akdeniz: Age of Child Labor Drops to 6 with Immigration of Syrians

* Photo: Anadolu Agency

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"Immigration, refugees and discrimination symposium" organized by the Peoples Democratic Congress (HDK) continued in Kenter Theater Hall in Şişli, İstanbul yesterday (November 17).

As reported by Mezopotamya Agency, journalist Ercüment Akdeniz, a columnist for daily Evrensel, raised concerns over Syrian workers and child labor with his presentation "Power, exploitation of labor and its struggle". 

Indicating that over 3 thousand Syrian workers are informally employed in İstanbul İkitelli Organized Industrial Zone, Akdeniz underlined that the majority of Syrian workers employed there are children.

'There is no child labor in Europe'

According to Akdeniz, these children work in the production of goods whose place of origin is Europe. He added,

"Child labor is not the case in Europe. However, children are employed in contract manufacturing in several parts of the world.

"The majority of working children in Turkey have certainly lose their mother, father or a family member and have taken on the responsibility of the whole family. Before they can even enjoy their childhood, living conditions force these children to look like adults."

Immigration has changed child labor age

Referring to the data shared by the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions of Turkey (DİSK), Akdeniz indicated that there are 2 million child workers in Turkey. Akdeniz said,

"With the immigration caused by the war in Syria, this figure has reached 2.5 million. Immigration has also changed the average age of child labor. The age of child labor has dropped to 6 and working hours have increased.

"Traumatized by the war in their country, Syrians are traumatized for the second time in Turkey. Syrians are undesired in either work life or social life. There is a serious prejudice against Syrians. Syrians have become a community who is jointly otherized by all segments of society. However, surveys show that 52 percent of Syrians do not want to stay in Turkey." (RT/SD)