DEVA Party Istanbul MP Elif Esen speaks on children forced to live in prisons

DEVA Party Istanbul MP Elif Esen stated that children in prisons are forced to be separated from their mothers once they turn 6, and that ensuring these children grow up protected from dangers is everyone's duty.

Esen, speaking at a press conference in Parliament, noted that April 23 National Sovereignty and Children's Day was gifted to all children, while drawing attention to the children being cruelly killed in different parts of the world, especially in Gaza.

Claiming that children in Turkey live under difficult conditions due to economic and other issues, Esen shared her impressions from the closed penal institutions she visited in Istanbul and Ankara.

Esen stated that the living conditions of children who have to stay with their mothers in penal institutions are good and that their development is cared for, but that certain steps need to be taken to ensure standardization across institutions.

'EVERYONE'S DUTY'

Pointing out that children in prisons are forced to be separated from their mothers when they turn 6, Esen continued as follows:

"These children go to live with relatives if they have any outside who can look after them, but if they do not have a reliable relative, they are handed over to state-run care institutions. Ensuring that these children grow up protected from dangers and without being dragged into crime is not just the duty of state institutions, but everyone's duty. Furthermore, aside from these children staying with their mothers, their visitation and communication can often be neither healthy nor regular. Sometimes it is limited to just phone calls, or it is only possible for them to visit and see their mothers at long intervals, such as during summer or semester breaks. The fact that the state provides an allowance per child for those who remain outside after the age of 6 is an important form of support. However, many of these women are unaware of this. Incarcerated mothers need to be informed about these matters."

News Source: AA