TBMM Children’s Rights Subcommittee is in Elazığ

Members of the Subcommittee on Children’s Rights of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM) Human Rights Examination Committee arrived in Elazığ for inspections. The commission members, who first visited Governor Assoc. Dr. Ömer Toraman, attended a meeting at the governorate building where the efforts for children affected by the earthquake were evaluated. Following the meeting, Commission Chairman and AK Party Kocaeli Deputy Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu made statements.

Katırcıoğlu provided information about the commission’s work, saying, ‘As the Subcommittee on Children’s Rights established within the Grand National Assembly of Turkey Human Rights Examination Committee, unfortunately, in the 28th legislative term, the agenda was deeply affected by the major earthquakes that deeply wounded each of us on February 6, 2023, causing countless pain and tears that influence our children, who are the future of our country. The earthquakes that shook 11 of our provinces left deep scars not only in adult individuals but also in all our children. In this context, as a commission, we have set a broad theme on earthquake-affected children for this term. We continue our work with the aim of researching the efforts made for children affected by earthquakes, listening to the support provided to children who are left unaccompanied, separated from their families, or trying to continue their lives as disabled children, observing the works carried out by our state, especially the right to education, identifying shortcomings, bringing the issue to the attention of the public, and turning all our findings into a report to be included in the agenda of our higher committee. We are in the right place for observation. We will be with our children who will help us understand the essence of everything in the most clear and transparent manner, without misinformation or distortion.’

Katırcıoğlu also mentioned that the commission had previously made contacts in various cities affected by earthquakes, stating, ‘We are here to understand disasters, their effects, and the measures that can be taken against disasters from the perspective of our children, through their minds, eyes, and observations. In December, as the subcommittee, we conducted on-site inspections in Adıyaman, Kahramanmaraş, Gaziantep, and Hatay. So far, we have met with representatives of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and Ministry of Health, listened to their works. We requested reports on the activities for earthquake-affected children from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, AFAD, Presidency of Religious Affairs, and the governorates of the 11 provinces affected by the earthquake, and the reports are largely completed. In the earthquakes that occurred in 2023, 2 people died in Elazığ. One of the pleasing aspects is that there were no deceased children in our city. We learned that our governorate, after determining that the number of affected individuals by the earthquake was low, mobilized all its facilities to neighboring cities and especially to Malatya, and Elazığ served the region as a logistics base.’