500,000 Children Need Protection in Turkey

The most important problems facing children in Turkey are education, health, economic, and social needs.

The Children and Youth Centre in Ulus, Ankara tries to save some children from the streets and addiction.

The economic crisis, a low level of education, indifferent parents, and bad environmental conditions have led to a regular increase in the number of children living on the streets.

While the number of children between the ages of 6 and 18 ages is 6 million, 30 percent of them do not go to school and addiction is common among children who are between the ages of 12 and 15.

There is no criminal child; there is child who is forced to crime.

Children, who are forced to work because of dire need, become street kids and are considered as potential criminals.

Nurgul Kara, the manager of the Ulus Children and Youth Centre, stated: "Children begin to work and live in the streets because of economic and social problems they experience within the family.

"Children living in the streets become addicted after a while and they are considered criminals.

"Whereas there is no criminal child, there is the child who is forced to commit a crime. We need to save these kids and make them useful individuals in society."

Kara said that they provide services to nearly 400 children and added that, "Our first goal is to contact their families and save them from the streets and drugs by getting the families’ support."