A new report published on Tuesday from Turkey’s Health and Safety Labour Watch (İSİG) has revealed a sharp increase in child labour and workplace fatalities, exposing severe gaps in labour protections. Covering the first 11 months of 2024, the report recorded at least 13 child deaths, including children as young as six, in hazardous working conditions.
“At least 13 children lost their lives in workplace accidents in 2024. These deaths highlight the extreme dangers children face in hazardous labour conditions,” the report said.
According to report, children are increasingly being employed in sectors such as agriculture, construction and domestic work—industries notorious for their unsafe conditions. The findings also indicate that the majority of these child workers are from impoverished or rural backgrounds, where economic hardship forces families to send their children out to work. İSİG calls for immediate action to address the exploitation of minors and improve workplace safety standards to prevent further deaths.
“The majority of child workers come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, often in rural areas, where families are forced to send their children into the workforce for financial survival,” the report highlighted.
In addition to child labour concerns, İSİG estimates that more than 1,000 individuals have died in workplace accidents in total in Turkey this year, underlining broader deficiencies in occupational safety standards. The report also criticises government policy for failing to tackle the root causes of child exploitation, and calls for urgent regulatory reforms.
While the Turkish authorities have acknowledged some labour issues, critics argue that current policies are inadequate. İSİG warns that unless stricter protections and enforcement mechanisms are introduced, the number of child workers and fatalities will continue to rise.
“Current policies and enforcement mechanisms are insufficient to address the scale of child labour and unsafe working conditions, and there is a critical need for reform,” the report concludes.
The findings have intensified calls for the government to implement stronger protections for minors, enforce labour laws more rigorously and improve workplace safety standards nationwide.
