Situation of the children

School attendance is particularly low in the rural areas in the Southeast. Children born in unofficial religious marriages are often not permitted to attend schools because they have no official identity. Girls' attendance in primary education is 7 % lower than that of boys. In some provinces in the Southeast, 62 % of girls are reportedly enrolling in primary education and 50 % in secondary. The portrayal of women in school text books reinforces such discrimination. (EC 2004a, 46-47.)

Despite Turkey's accession to the ILO Convention on the Elimination of Worst Forms of Child Labour and amendments to the legislation in this area, child labour is still a significant problem. But the number of working children aged between 6 and 15 years has decreased. (EC 2004a, 46).

The issue of street children remains serious and their number is reportedly increasing (EC 2004a 47.)