Concluding Observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child

This year, the 60th session of UNICEF's annual sessions held by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child was held, and within the scope of this session, the periodic reports of six countries, including Turkey, were examined. According to the results of the reviewed reports, the final version of the concluding observations on Turkey has been published.

In the report, innovations and advances in children's rights in Turkey, as well as concerns and recommendations on some related issues are stated. Strategies for the fulfillment of all the rights of all children through time limits and limited targets are among the recommendations of the committee to Turkey.

Another issue that the committee touched upon is that the children's rights treaty is not sufficiently integrated into the school curriculum. While campaigns and programs aimed at raising awareness of the public about children's rights in Turkey are considered valuable by the committee, it is stated that school curricula and regulations need to be improved within the scope of children's rights.

On the other hand, it is underlined that discrimination still poses a problem in Turkey. It is emphasized that the right to health and education of children from certain minority groups, children with disabilities, girls, and children growing up in the East and Southeast regions cannot be fulfilled.

In the report, which also mentions the age of marriage, it is stated that the official age of marriage in Turkey is 17 and that being able to marry at the age of 16 with family permission in some special cases has some problems. It is pointed out that marriages can occur at younger ages, regardless of the official marriage age, especially in rural areas of the country. The committee recommends that the official marriageable age should be lowered to 18, and that the nationwide control of the marriageable age should be strictly controlled.