Children’s rights in the summer

On the other hand, for some children, the summer means working in the fields or in small-scale industries, getting into an early-age or a forced marriage or another summer in prison.

While some of this country's adults are busy maintaining their privileges and fighting, for example, to continue to have the freedom of organizing a coup, some of this country's children will not be able to enjoy this summer. Many others will join the workforce, and some of them will not return to school.

Since the rate of unemployment is increasing, and this situation makes parents seek ways of coping with the dire situation, child labor will increase, and the biggest increase will be in children working on the streets because this generates the most money. While the number of children working on the street is increasing, the legal obstacles to forming strong unions will be not removed, either.

While some small hands try to hold big hammers, some of this country's adults will continue to discuss a “piece of paper.” Some of them will continue to argue about how to apply to the Constitutional Court against an amendment that is paving the way for military personnel to be tried in the civilian court -- actually a revolutionary step for the process of democratization.

Just as some grownups forget about establishing transparent control mechanisms for their military tenders, some stories about some children will be forgotten very rapidly, like a teenager who died on Wednesday; the teenager was not allowed into a beach facility belonging to the military because his father was not a commissioned officer, so he tried to climb an electric pole to jump over a wire fence but was electrocuted. Worse, the situation of children who have never been to a summer camp or a beach will be not discussed, either.

While some politicians keep fighting with each other about describing or not describing the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a terrorist organization and whether to meet them or not, some children will continue to serve long terms in prison since they are in trouble because of the Anti-terror Law.

Some of those children, as a children's rights activist told me, will write their first letter from prison, saying, “Dear Mum and Dad,” but after the third letter will start to say, “With my revolutionary regards.” While the children are passing through this transformation, Parliament will enjoy its holiday even before realizing most of the legal changes which are necessary for both the process of democratization and harmonization with the European Union.

While Parliament is not making these amendments, the children will continue to face charges as adults because they are in conflict with the Anti-terror Law; they will continue to face conditions that are not in accordance with children's rights, but the politicians will find someone to put the blame on for making these children participate in political demonstrations. While the children are suffering they will also not think about the conditions which force the children to be there.

While the political parties on the one hand will continue to talk about women's participation in politics but will, on the other hand, refrain from implementing a quota, or worse, they will continue to have fun with a quota, early-age marriages will take place in this country. Some little girls will find themselves in marriages without understanding what they are doing.