“Children Should’t Become Obliged to Work”

Konak City Council Refugee Assembly organized a panel on 12 June, World Day against Child Labour. We interviewed the moderator and social service specialist Ezgi Baltalı.

“Children need not become obliged to work. They have right to continue their education, play, get enough love and attention and make use of their free times. If we want to solve the problem of child labor, we have to solve the problem of poverty and unemployment first,” she says.

What is the condition in Turkey regarding child labor?

We can say that regulations in Turkey are sufficient enough. But there are huge problems about applying the law. We need urgent improvements about workers’ rights and work safety generally. Conflicting atmosphere and poverty have affected children on top. When children are exposed to poverty for long, they cannot use their very fundamental rights and freedoms and they become obliged to work.

Are there any attempts to make improvements, especially about refugee children?

“Children need not become obliged to work. They have right to continue their education, play, get enough love and attention and make use of their free times. If we want to solve the problem of child labor, we have to solve the problem of poverty and unemployment first.