Child with Down syndrome denied entry to play area: Etimesgut Municipality seals the facility

In the Etimesgut district, 7-year-old Mert Affan Yüce, who has Down syndrome, went to a play area at the Gimsa Park shopping mall accompanied by his teacher, Sevcan Odabaşı Karakurt. However, when business officials noticed that Mert had Down syndrome, they stated that they could not issue him a ticket.

TEACHER REACTS

While other children of the same age were allowed to enter the area, the fact that Mert was excluded solely due to his differences was met with a strong reaction from his teacher, Sevcan Odabaşı Karakurt. An argument ensued between teacher Karakurt and a female business official. The official defended herself by saying, "We are a private business." The teacher stated that she would report the business to the relevant authorities.

HEARTBREAKING MOMENTS WATCHING THROUGH THE GLASS

When Mert, who has Down syndrome, was not allowed inside despite all the teacher's efforts, the teacher called out to other parents, asking them to react to the business. While other children were playing inside, the moments when Mert watched them through the glass were heartbreaking. The teacher recorded those moments, saying, "This is a place that makes some children laugh and others cry."

STATEMENT FROM THE MINISTRY

In a statement made by the Ministry of Family and Social Services following this news, it was said: "Following the footage, our provincial directorate teams acted immediately, met with our child's family, and provided psychosocial support. As a Ministry, a criminal complaint has been filed against the business in question under the 'hate and discrimination' crime category of the Turkish Penal Code. We would like to inform the public that we will follow the process meticulously, stating that all our children have equal rights and that we will act with a zero-tolerance policy against discrimination."

ERDAL BEŞİKÇİOĞLU: THE BUSINESS HAS BEEN SEALED

Etimesgut Mayor Erdal Beşikçioğlu announced that the business, which was determined to have denied entry to the child with Down syndrome at the ball pit, has been sealed.

In his statement, Beşikçioğlu said:

"Within the scope of routine inspections carried out at Gimsa market branches located throughout our district, it has been determined that children's play areas in some branches were operating without the necessary legal permits and licenses. Accordingly, the play areas determined to be operating in violation of regulations have been sealed by our municipal police teams, and their operations have been terminated.

These actions were carried out not only to ensure compliance with legal requirements but also as a result of evaluating notifications and complaints received from our citizens. In particular, the investigations conducted following the distressing incident reflected in the public eye recently, regarding a child with Down syndrome not being allowed into the play area, were also included in this process.

As Etimesgut Municipality, our primary priority is to ensure that every individual living in our district receives services in equal, safe, and healthy environments. In this context, just as no unlicensed or unsupervised activity will be tolerated, discrimination or exclusionary practices will absolutely not be permitted.

Respectfully announced to the public."