23.02.2018 Ankara
TOBB President Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu attended the Declaration to Fight Child Labor signing ceremony organized in cooperation by the Labor and Social Security Ministry and the International Labor Organization (ILO) under the patronage of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan. Hisarcıklıoğlu underlined that it is imperative to protect children against all exploitation.
Extending his gratitude to Emine Erdoğan for their sensitivity, mothers
and conveying their gratitude for the sensitivity for the fight against child
labor Hisarcıklıoğlu pointed out that the year 2018 has been declared the fight
against child labor, Such a wide and high level of participation is the most
important indicator of the importance of this issue for the government. Our
children are entrusted unto us by Almighty Allah. Protecting our children from all
abuse is to protect our humanity and our future. The President has said that
the most severe punishment will be given for child abuse. We put our names on
this as TOBB.
- Abusers of children must
receive the severest punishment
Hisarcıklıoğlu, stated that child labor is another area of exploitation.
Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “The children who have to work are not going to school.
They can’t get basic education. They're losing their future! Mental and physical
development is negatively affected. They are almost disappearing. Child labor
is theft of life! Their tiny lives, their great future, are stolen from tiny
bodies. The structural solution to prevent child labor is of course primarily
to give importance to education. We are pleased to see that the largest share
of the 2018 budget has been put into education. This approach is a very
important indicator of the vision Turkey has of building its future. Of course,
this figure will go even higher as the economy grows. One of the most important
causes of the problem is parental unemployment.
We started employment mobilization in the year 2017 under the auspices
of President Erdoğan. We have achieved a historic success as the Turkish
private sector. We provided 1.5 million jobs. Thus, we made an important
contribution to the solution of unemployment, one of the most important causes
of child labor. By Allah's will, we will continue to do so! The number of
Syrian people in our country since 2012 has passed 3.5 million. Some 1.2
million of them are children in the 5-18 age group. The Turkish nation cares
for not only its children, but all the children of the region. This is the land
of love. Children grow with love. Without love, the spirit of our children will
wear out first.”
- Fight against child labor
Stating that Turkey's legal and secondary legislative activities have
resulted in significant progress in the fight against child labor,
Hisarcıklıoğlu reported that the number of working children reached its lowest
point in 2006. TOBB President Hisarcıklıoğlu said, “Turkey was shown as a model
country in the world in 2006 by the ILO in fighting child labor. We will carry
this success forward. It is imperative that public, private sector and civil
society are united in purpose against child labor.
There is no problem Turkey cannot overcome as long as it stands united
and in solidarity. Thanks to this union we are going to record even larger progress
in preventing child labor. We as civil society are doing our part and we will
continue to do so.”
- President Erdoğan's wife Emine
Erdoğan
President Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's wife Emine Erdoğan said, “Children,
entrusted unto us by Allah, are not a workforce, neither are they human
capital. A child is a gem waiting to be processed; a pristine and white page. The
place of the child what neither fields or factories.
Emine Erdoğan stated that the work and activities carried out in
coordination with the Ministry of Social Security, are a product of the government's
commitment to fighting child labor.
- Development Minister Lütfi
Elvan
Development Minister Lütfi Elvan stated that they have established “Children
and Youth Special Commission” as a part of the 11th Development Plan
studies and they consider child labor an important topic. Elvan said that the endeavor
is noteworthy on the global scale.