Diyarbakır Bar Association reports 568 child rights violations in Turkey

The Diyarbakır Bar Association’s Child Rights Center has released a report detailing 568 cases of child rights violations in Turkey during the first six months of 2026. According to the data, 344 children lost their lives, with 326 deaths attributed to preventable causes and 18 classified as suspicious.

Major causes of death included traffic accidents (83 cases), drowning in open areas such as ponds and rivers (49 cases), and industrial accidents (35 cases). Other recorded fatalities involved suicide, violence, and incidents occurring during healthcare or education services. The report noted that 242 of the deceased were male and 93 were female.

In addition to fatalities, 224 children were victims of severe injury, violence, or sexual abuse. The report calls for urgent structural and legal reforms, including enhanced school security, stricter oversight of vocational training programs that involve hazardous labor, and improved safety measures for irrigation canals and water basins. It also emphasizes the need for better psychosocial support during high-pressure exam periods and more rigorous investigations into suspicious deaths.