Turkish advocacy for free school meals

In September 2026, Yavuz Ağıralioğlu, leader of the Anahtar Parti, proposed a program to provide free, healthy meals to students starting from preschool. Ağıralioğlu estimated the initiative would cost approximately 150 billion lira, which he noted represents less than 1 percent of the central government budget. The plan aimed to utilize local farmers and cooperatives to provide menus containing protein, vegetables, and fruit.

By October 2026, advocates and experts in Turkey expanded on the call for improved school meal access to combat nutritional inequality. During a panel organized by the Adana School Meal Coalition, data was presented indicating that 23.1% of children in Turkey live in households unable to consume meat, chicken, or fish daily due to financial constraints.

In conjunction with World Food Day, representatives from the TMMOB Chamber of Food Engineers argued that access to safe, balanced nutrition is a “fundamental human right rather than a luxury.” Advocates emphasized that rising food prices are forcing low-income families to choose between healthy eating and other basic needs, calling for at least one free, nutritious meal per day for all students to mitigate the impacts of malnutrition.