A socio-economic research by BETAM published on April 21 revealed that the rate of children suffering from severe material deprivation has been increasing in Turkey.
According to the report, Turkey has the highest rate of children living under material deprivation among the European countries.
Prepared by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökçe Uysal and Research Assist. Yazgı Genç, the report showed that approximately one third of children in Turkey suffer from severe material deprivation according to the EU's material deprivation definitions. A sharp increase is observed in material deprivation rates of children residing in the East Anatolia, Central Anatolia and the Mediterranean, the report says.
INAPPROPRIATE NUTRITION AND LACK OF HEATING
The report says the increase in deprivation rates results mainly from lack of heating at home and partly from inappropriate nutrition and inability to pay for unexpected needs.
According to the data provided by the report, while 47 percent of children in South East Anatolia live in houses insufficiently heated, this rate is 37,3 percent in Central Anatolia and 36 percent in the Mediterranean. The increase in this rate parallels the increase in the rate of children under severe deprivation in Turkey, adds the report.
THE NUMBER OF CHILD LABOURERS REACHED UP TO 2 MILLION
A report published by Genel-İş Union of the Confederation of Progressive Trade Unions in Turkey (DİSK) last year also revealed that the number of child labourers in Turkey reached up to 2 million.
The report noted that most of the children in Turkey were informally employed since they are regarded as a cheap labour force.
The report also added that the children are forced to work as "apprentices" without any payment.
