Turkey's Ministry of Family and Social Services blocks children's beauty pageant

Turkey's Ministry of Family and Social Services has initiated legal proceedings to stop the ‘Little Miss and Little Mister United World’ beauty pageant scheduled to take place in Antalya from October 23 to 28. The competition, which targets children aged 4 to 13, has drawn sharp criticism from government officials.

Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stated that such organizations turn children into ‘commercial commodities’ and violate the principle of the best interests of the child. The Ministry emphasized that evaluating children based on adult beauty standards is ‘unacceptable’ and can negatively impact their physical, mental, and psychosocial development, as well as their self-esteem.

The Ministry has launched an investigation and will take necessary legal and administrative steps to protect children's rights and well-being, asserting that no commercial activity is more valuable than the welfare of children.