Gaziantep MP faces backlash over child labor social media post

İrfan Çelikaslan, an AK Party Member of Parliament for Gaziantep, has drawn significant criticism following a social media post featuring child laborers. During a visit to an industrial site in the Şehitkamil district, Çelikaslan shared photos of himself with children who appeared to be working in industrial conditions, with visible oil and paint on their faces and clothes.

In his post, Çelikaslan described the workers as “tradesmen pursuing their lawful livelihood with the sweat of their brow.” The framing of child labor as a commendable pursuit of livelihood sparked widespread condemnation on social media and from labor organizations.

Mehmet Türkmen, President of the United Textile, Weaving and Leather Workers' Union (BİRTEK-SEN), issued a sharp rebuke, accusing the MP of normalizing child labor and failing to show shame for posing with children who should be in school. Following the intense backlash, Çelikaslan disabled the comments on his social media posts.