REPUBLIC OF TÜRKİYE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE

MINISTER TUNÇ: LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS ARE OUR MAINSTAY OF PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM THE DANGERS OF THE DIGITAL WORLD

Minister of Justice Mr. Tunç said: “Legal arrangements are the mainstay of protecting children from the dangers of the digital world, but this process needs to be supported by effective training programs, awareness-raising activities, cooperation among the sectoral stakeholders, and international cooperation”.

Minister Tunç addressed at the “Meeting on National Perspectives and Future Commitments for the Fight Against Online Exploitation and Abuse of Children” under the “WeProtect Global Summit 2024” held in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

Stating that technological developments have made the digital world called the “virtual world”, a tangible and indispensable part of our lives, Minister Tunç added that today’s children were born into the world of science and technology.

DIGITAL WORLD BRINGS ALONG IMPORTANT RISKS

Adding that children, being introduced to the digital world in their early years, keep up with the technological innovations faster than the adults, Minister Tunç emphasized that the digital world brings along various opportunities to children but with some important risks.

Noting that children spend more time on the internet due to specially designed attention-grabbing content, Minister Tunç said: “This situation increases the risk of our children being subject to harmful content on the internet that constitutes a crime, personal data being received by people with ill-intentions and being subject to cyber-attacks involving psychological or sexual bullying. In addition to the opportunities that they have to offer, technological innovations and developments play a facilitating role in the violation of our children’s rights.”

Underlining the importance of implementation of necessary legal arrangements to ensure that children benefit from the opportunities offered by science and technology at the highest level, while protecting them effectively against online risks and especially against abuse, Minister Tunç stated that: “According to the Constitution of the Republic of Türkiye, our state has a positive obligation to protect children from any type of abuse.”

SOCIAL NETWORK PROVIDERS ARE OBLIGED TO TAKE NECESSARY MEASURES TO PROVIDE CUSTOMIZED SERVICES SPECIFIC TO CHILDREN

Reminding that Law No. 5651 on Regulation of Publications on the Internet and Combating Crimes Committed by Means of Such Publication introduces special arrangements for the protection of children as well as the general internet users, Minister Tunç added:

"Within this scope, social network providers are obliged to furnish information on the content subject to the crime of sexual abuse of children to the judicial authorities via their Türkiye representative. In the event of providing such information to the requesting chief public prosecutor’s office or court, it has been ruled that the relevant public prosecutor may request the narrowing down by 90 percent of the internet traffic and bandwidth of the foreign social network provider. Besides, social network providers are obliged to take necessary measures to provide customized services specific to children”.  

Minister Tunç said: “Within the framework of the law, if the crime of sexual abuse of children is committed online, it is possible to apply the measure of blocking access to content, and added that criminal sanctions are applied to those content providers of crimes such as sexual abuse of children, production and dissemination of pornographic content.”

PUBLICATION OF CONTENT THEY MAY BE HARMFUL TO CHILDREN IS PROHIBITED

Mentioning that the law brings along certain obligations for internet service and access providers, Minister Tunç continued as follows:

“Content providers are responsible for the content provided online should be in conformity with the law. Publication of content that may be of harm to children is prohibited. Access providers are obliged to create the technical infrastructure to prevent access to certain content to ensure the safety of children. Hosting providers are held responsible for platforms containing harmful content for children. Hosting providers must immediately remove content that violates the law.”

Noting that in addition to the legal arrangements, it is essential to develop policies against the risks of the digital world and to conduct training and awareness-raising activities that will encompass the roots of the society, Minister Tunç added that: “Legal arrangements are the main foundation of protecting children from the dangers of the digital world, however, this process needs to be supported by effective training programs, awareness-raising activities, cooperation among the sectoral stakeholders and international cooperation.”

Minister Tunç underlined that only in this way will it be possible to ensure that children benefit from the blessings of the digital world safely and achieve effective results in the fight against child abuse”.

WE ALL HAVE A DUTY OF PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM ANY VIOLENCE AND EVIL

Pointing out that children are the biggest source of motivation in ending the wars, genocide, and crises and all the efforts to enhance the climate of security and peace, Minister Tunç said the following:

“Continuation of genocide and aggressive policies ongoing in Gaza with painful consequences for over a year has led to the killing of nearly 20 thousand children under the bombs. As humanity, we all have a duty to protect children from any violence and evil. Türkiye, as mentioned by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the motto of “a fairer world is possible,” in every international occasion, as Türkiye, we will continue working towards a world where children and innocent people are not killed and where there is no violence”.