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Türkiye is introducing a broad social media regulation that will stop children under 15 from using social platforms and require providers to set up age-verification systems, according to Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas.
Goktas explained that the regulation is based on Türkiye’s own model, developed after looking at similar laws in Australia, France, and Spain. It will apply to social networks with over 1 million users.
These platforms must appoint a local representative in Türkiye, remove inappropriate content within one hour of being notified, take down misleading ads, and improve parental controls.
Age verification will happen through the government’s e-Devlet portal. Users aged 15 to 18 will have access to a separate section with age-appropriate content.
Gaming platforms with over 100,000 users must also have a local representative. If platforms do not follow the rules, they could be fined between 1 million and 10 million lira and face bandwidth cuts of up to 90 percent by court order.
Goktas said the regulation will be issued within six months to fully enforce the rules. The Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTK), the Cybersecurity Authority, and the ministry will oversee how the rules are put into practice.
“Our aim is to protect children, provide a safer digital environment and not leave families alone in this process,” she said.
The minister also spoke about recent school attacks in Kahramanmaras and Sanliurfa, saying the government is using both physical and AI-based measures to prevent them.
A Social Risk Map, covering 35 risk categories and 648 indicators, has been completed and sent to provincial governors across all 81 provinces.
The system monitors risk factors at the household level so that early action can be taken before problems happen.
Goktas said that 14,834 social workers have completed online training related to the map and the “Children Are Safe” (Cocuklar Guvende) module.
She added that psychosocial support teams have visited 6,075 households and directly contacted 3,160 families in Kahramanmaras after the attack.
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RGoktas confirmed that maternity leave has been extended from 16 to 24 weeks after the Social Services Law was passed in parliament.
This puts Türkiye among the top 10 OECD countries and above the European Union average of 18 weeks
Paternity leave for private sector workers has doubled from five to 10 days, now matching what civil servants receive.
A new Income Supplementary Family Support System, which the minister called a next-generation social assistance model in line with the 12th Development Plan, is being tested this year and is planned to be used across the country by 2027.
The system will set an income threshold for eligible households and will include both job activation programs and direct financial support.
The minister also confirmed plans to expand Darulaceze, Türkiye’s largest elderly care center and the country’s first Alzheimer's and Dementia Center, to serve all 81 provinces following a new legislative amendment.
The government currently provides home care support to 114,000 elderly citizens and meal and care assistance to 132,000 people through the Vefa Program.
Goktas said Türkiye’s fertility rate is now 1.48, which is below the replacement level of 2.1. Without action, the number of primary school-age children could drop by 900,000 in five years, according to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK).
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