News Center – The absence of effective preventive policies to protect children in Turkey, especially in recent years, has exacerbated their exposure to the risks of labor and violence in unsafe social and economic environments, raising increasing concerns about the ability of institutions to provide genuine protection for this vulnerable group.

The FİSA Child Rights Center has released its annual report, "Violations of Children's Right to Life in Turkey," which covers the period from January to May 2026. The report was compiled after reviewing data from local and national media, as well as community sources and human rights organizations.

The center revealed in its report that at least 303 children lost their lives during the first five months of this year due to preventable causes, highlighting the continuing risks to children's lives in the country.

 

The report, which included data on violations of children's right to life in 69 cities, recorded the highest number of child deaths in Urfa, with 18 children, as in previous years. This was followed by Antalya with 16 deaths, and then Kahramanmaraş and Istanbul, each with 14 deaths.

 

According to the report, at least 46 children died in incidents that occurred in public institutions or as a result of direct actions or negligence by government officials. Among the deceased children, 22 were receiving healthcare services, 20 were receiving educational services, two were receiving social welfare services, and two were receiving services from the local government.

The center emphasized that this situation is most dangerous due to the failure to structure public services according to the unique needs of children and the lack of implementation of child-centered protection mechanisms. It noted that at least 257 children have lost their lives as a result of the state's failure to fulfill its obligations in regulating, monitoring, and developing preventative policies. These deaths were classified under the categories of violence, fatal workplace accidents, neglect, and other violations of the right to life.

According to the report, 26 child deaths were recorded as suicides, while 8 children lost their lives in firearm-related accidents, and 14 children died under mysterious circumstances.

 

The report also noted that at least 39 children lost their lives in open urban and rural areas. Of these, 31 drowned in dams, rivers, and open water where proper precautions were not taken, most of them in irrigation canals belonging to the State Hydraulic Works Authority (DSI).

 

The report explained that among the eleven children who lost their lives in home accidents, eight died as a result of falling from unsecured windows or balconies, noting that drowning and falling from heights occur regularly every year, but preventive policies are still absent, and the necessary measures are not implemented, while the risks that cause the death of children remain without effective treatment until 2026.

 

He added that of the 21 children who died while working, 11 died in agricultural and livestock work, three died from falls from heights at construction sites, and one died working in the industrial sector. At least two of the deceased children were employed by the Vocational and Technical Education Center (MESEM), and six died in work-related accidents in dangerous temporary shelters in the cities where they had sought refuge with their families. These six children were seasonal agricultural workers, and all were refugees.

Violence Against Children

 

The report revealed that during the first five months of this year, at least 24 children lost their lives as a result of violence. These deaths were distributed as follows: 13 cases of peer violence, six cases related to gender-based violence, four cases due to domestic violence, and one case of child homicide.

 

The center explained that these figures reflect the fact that violence is perpetrated within the environments closest to children, including their homes, neighborhoods, schools, and daily relationships, indicating the wide range of risks threatening their safety.

 

The report included an assessment stating that "the death of each child serves as a reminder that different forms of violence feed on each other." Protecting children's right to life cannot be achieved without addressing the structural causes that generate violence and promoting effective child protection mechanisms.