Announcements

"Children's Rights in Türkiye" Seminar was held in cooperation with Işık University and Şile Governorship as part of the World Human Rights Day

On 10 December, 2012, Işık University hosted the seminar on "Children's Rights in Türkiye." Assoc. Prof. Hakan ACAR, Department Head of Social Services, Kocaeli University and Hasan ARI, Juvenile Court Judge in Gaziosmanpaşa participated in the seminar in Şile Campus.

On 10 December, 2012, a seminar on "Children's Rights in Türkiye" was organized as part of the World Human Rights Day. The keynote speakers of the event were Assoc. Prof. Hakan ACAR, Department Head of Social Services, Kocaeli University and Hasan ARI, Juvenile Court Judge in Gaziosmanpaşa.

Assoc. Prof. Hakan ACAR started his speech with the declaration of children's rights to state that a remarkable progress has been made in improving children's life conditions. However, Acar also pointed out various problems that occurred because these improvements were not enough to embrace the child population as a whole. He continued his speech by describing the real aim in terms of "sustaining social peace", suggesting that the content of United Nations Contract of Children's Rights consisted of these issues.

Underlining the importance of creating a new city for children, Assoc. Prof. Hakan ACAR stated that it was necessary to adopt an approach that was open to growth and that could eradicate the caste system blinding the mind as a public policy. "Child policies based on rights should be followed, and the aim should be to create the best environment for children," said Acar. Assoc. Prof. Hakan ACAR also shared the findings of a research on children above the age 15 with the audience.

According to the research findings, as interpreted and explained by Assoc. Prof. Hakan ACAR, the willingness among children to live in their own country has decreased, and they do not feel secure in terms of the life conditions in the country.

Hasan ARI, Juvenile Court Judge of Gaziospmanpaşa, began his speech by saying "All persons under the age of 18 are judged in juvenile courts." Arı said that even if children got married before coming of age, the court trials would be carried out by juvenile courts if they committed crime.

Hasan ARI pointed out that the aim of the juvenile judicial system was to guarantee the rights of children who had been forced by the circumstances to commit crime. Arı added that children between 0 and 12 years of age were exempt from criminal sanction, while criminal sanction for children below 18 years of age was applied with reduction. All this positive action for the purpose of "sustaining social peace" shared by both speakers should be supported by families.