No room for child poverty in the MTP: We are the leaders in Europe

Child poverty in Turkey has been reflected in TEPAV reports. Economist Hakan Yılmaz explained the consequences of child poverty, its solutions, and Turkey's position in the world regarding child poverty to 12punto.

WE ARE THE LEADERS IN CHILD POVERTY IN EUROPE

Stating that Turkey is among the European countries with a rapidly increasing trend in child poverty, Hakan Yılmaz said, “Our starting point is that Turkey is the country with the highest child poverty in Europe. One in every three children is poor and lives below the poverty line. Therefore, child poverty is a problem that must be addressed through public policies and programs. A more specific reason is that social assistance in Turkey is mostly provided to adult individuals. While our child poverty rates are this high, providing social assistance primarily to adults further increases child poverty. While social assistance should reduce these rates, it is instead raising them even higher.”

CHILDREN ARE STRUGGLING WITH HUNGER

Stating that child poverty causes major disruptions in education, Hakan Yılmaz spoke as follows:

“After making these assessments, the MTP should be supported with concrete policies, just as in other developed countries. It needs to address how to combat this, reaching children living in rural areas and urban slums. If you don't do this, these children cannot succeed in education, and they have problems with social integration into society. The most fundamental unit that will enable them to hold onto life is education. However, because the child struggles with hunger or poverty while studying, they cannot focus on their education as much as they should.”

SOCIETY WILL PAY A HEAVY PRICE FOR THIS

Touching upon the fact that poverty increases the tendency to commit crimes, Hakan Yılmaz said, “Everyone used to wear the same uniform when going to school; there were no situations where one could understand the financial differences between anyone. It brings with it problems such as the risk of social exclusion, failure in education, and one of the most critical things this brings is the increase in juvenile delinquency. Juvenile delinquency in Turkey continues its upward trend. The state should further develop programs that will look after children at home and at school and support them, and make this a priority. There are supports like free boarding schools, but the amounts are laughable. Society will pay the price for this in the medium and long term. You could reach a point where a child might attack you while walking on the street. For those who commit crimes or show social integration problems as children, the tendency toward crime increases even more if they are not intervened with.”

THE MELTING AWAY OF GENERATIONS MUST BE PREVENTED

Listing his solutions regarding child poverty, Hakan Yılmaz concluded his words as follows:

“Social assistance and social support that will reduce poverty, with a focus on children's education, will provide them with additional educational opportunities to complete their schooling. The integration problem needs to be supervised and regulated by the Ministries of National Education, Health, and Justice. All these institutions need to come together to correctly identify the problem and provide cash assistance and social support. Mechanisms that will protect them and shield them against environmental factors need to be strengthened and implemented with determination. Serious nutritional assistance needs to be provided for these children. Supplementary education and psychological support need to be given, both to the children and their families. If we do not take the necessary precautions in time, we cannot prevent generations from melting away under these conditions. These are investments in the future of society; I think investments in the future will be more valuable than investments in roads and bridges.”

News Source: Hikmet Eren Çelenk