Child Rights Monitoring Committee of Turkish Grand National Assembly visited children in custody

Child Rights Monitoring Committee of Turkish Grand National Assembly (TGNA) visited children in custody in Diyarbakır Prison. Commission members pointed out that children are having some problems in prison, stating that children should be tried as children.

Members of the Child Rights Monitoring Committee of TGNA, headed by Justice and Development Party (JDP) Cevdet Erdöl, began his contacts in Diyarbakır with visits to Governor and Court House. Afterwards, Committee members went to the prison and met with the children in custody and their relatives. At the end of their contacts, Committee members met with non-governmental organizations’ representatives in Human Rights Association Building. First, members of the committee listened Muharrem Erbey, Head of Diyarbakır Human Rights Association. “These kids did not throw stones at police. They can not be accused of membership of an illegal organization. They did not even hear the organization’s name. They do not know the meaning of the organization. However, unfortunately these children are being punished with severe penalties. Before, police was looking for an organic tie with the organization, but now, you are being judged whether you know the organization or not. These practices are against the law,” said Muharrem Erbey.

JDP Trabzon Deputy Cevdet Erdöl said that the Commission made this kind of a visit for the first time. “We are eight people in total in Child Rights Monitoring Committee. We wish that children would not be involved in nay crime. Even if such a thing happened, they should be tried as children, not adults. We talked to the children in prison and the parents of some of them. We will do whatever our responsibility covers. Everyone will do their part. If such a problem exists, it will not be solved by a single non-governmental organizations interest. Therefore, this problem should be solved with the support of all of us.