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Turkey faces child poverty and education inequality debates
Turkey is facing significant challenges regarding child welfare and education. According to a report by DİSK-AR, 6,708,000 children in the country live in income poverty, representing 31 percent of the child population. Child labor has seen a 70 percent increase, with the number of working children aged 15-17 rising to 882,000 over the last five years. Reports indicate that at least 646 children died while working between 2017 and July 2026.
In the education sector, Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin highlighted Turkey's improved performance in the PISA 2025 results, attributing the success to curriculum updates and the removal of previous institutional influences. However, the union Eğitim-İş contested this, arguing that the results reflect growing socioeconomic inequality rather than systemic success. They noted that the performance gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students in subjects like mathematics and science continues to widen.
Political figures have also weighed in on the child labor crisis. CHP Vice President Deniz Demir emphasized that the state must prioritize the right to education over integrating children into the workforce, noting that child labor remains a systemic issue exacerbated by economic necessity.
Entities
Arzu Çerkezoğlu · DİSK-AR · Eurostat · Eğitim-İş · OECD · Turkey · Yusuf Tekin
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Eğitim-İş claims PISA improvements are driven by socioeconomically advantaged students, widening the gap with disadvantaged peers. www.cumhuriyet.com.tr
- [● 2 SOURCES] Minister of National Education Yusuf Tekin attributed Turkey's PISA 2025 success to removing FETÖ influence and curriculum updates. www.aksam.com.tr · www.cumhuriyet.com.tr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] 6,708,000 children in Turkey live in income poverty. gaziantepsabah.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Turkey improved its PISA rankings in science, reading, and mathematics. www.cumhuriyet.com.tr
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The number of working children aged 15-17 increased by 69.6 percent over five years, reaching 882,000. gaziantepsabah.com
- [DISPUTED] CHP Vice President Deniz Demir stated that at least 62 child workers died in 2026. www.sondakika.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The child poverty rate in Turkey is 31 percent. gaziantepsabah.com
- [DISPUTED] At least 646 children died while working between 2017 and July 2026. gaziantepsabah.com