May 19 message from Tanrıkulu: A melting generation, a stolen future

CHP Deputy Chairman responsible for Human Rights Sezgin Tanrıkulu released a comprehensive youth report as part of the May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk, Youth and Sports Day. Pointing out that the proportion of the youth population in Turkey is declining and that young people are losing hope, Tanrıkulu described the current situation as "a melting generation, a stolen future."

UNEMPLOYMENT AMONG YOUNG WOMEN HAS REACHED 50 PERCENT

In the statement, which is based on data from TÜİK and DİSK-AR, it was noted that broad-defined youth unemployment has reached 38.3 percent, and 49.1 percent among young women. Emphasizing that one in every four young people is neither in education nor in employment (NEET), Tanrıkulu drew attention to the fact that 73 percent of this group consists of women who are trapped in domestic labor.

ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL POVERTY TOGETHER

Stating that education is no longer a "path to salvation," Tanrıkulu shared a striking example: "A student who could go to the theater 29 times a month with their scholarship in 2005 can only go six times today. This is not only economic but also cultural impoverishment." Furthermore, touching upon the housing crisis and brain drain, Tanrıkulu reported that 28 percent of young people dream of living in another country.

DIGITAL PRESSURE AND VIOLATIONS OF THE RIGHT TO LIFE

Addressing the pressures on freedom of expression, Tanrıkulu argued that Turkey has become a "country of blocked websites and silenced squares." The report, which also drew attention to workplace homicides, revealed that at least 4,544 young workers lost their lives between 2013 and 2025. Tanrıkulu concluded his statement by saying, "We do not just owe them a holiday; we owe them a country where they do not die in workplaces and are not imprisoned for their thoughts."

News Source: 12punto