Turkey’s Ministry of Family and Social Policies is ready to implement a new plan of “transformation” for many children who are living in orphanages under legal protection. Stating that the transformation plan will be completed next year, Minister Fatma Betül Şahin said, “The children will not stay in dormitories for 100-200 individuals but at child houses for 5-6.”
The Ministry’s project has raised questions within the public opinion whether “the children will be settled in pro-Justice and Development Party (AKP) religious cult houses”.
MINISTER: ‘WE WILL CARRY OUT A GREAT TRANSFORMATION’
Saying that they want to increase the number of foster parents for all children in proper conditions, Turkey’s Family and Social Policies Minister Kaya set forth:
“As the government, we are trying to provide them with all kinds of material and moral possibilities. We are carrying out a great transformation. Our children will not stay in dormitories for 100-200 individuals, but be cared at ‘child’ houses of ‘love’. We will carry out this transformation completely at the end of the year. The dormitories where around 650 children are living at the moment will be closed completely. We are entering into the model of ‘Child Houses’.”
WILL RELIGIOUS CULT HOUSES BE LAUNCHED?
While more than 13 thousands of children are living under state protection in Turkey, it is already known that some religious cults have launched student houses under the name of “association” and “foundation” under the rule of AKP, exploiting the housing needs of children and students for political aims.
It is widely known in Turkey that many poor children faced molestation and abusive attacks in many pro-AKP religious dormitories and “student houses” around the country. The ministry’s new project has raised questions considering that the ruling party aims to bring up Islamist militants through non-scientific pro-AKP curriculums.
Turkey was shaken with scandalous news when 45 children were continuously raped at an Ensar Foundation dormitory, a pro-AKP religious institution.
The Family and Social Policies Ministry’s “transformative” project of “Child Houses” has led to debates whether the government is attempting to provide a legal basis for pro-AKP religious cults that are organised in Turkey under the name of associations or foundations.
