Yasemin Soydan warned that the growing online outrage in the Minguzzi case unfairly targets Kurdish children, and it cannot be addressed through exclusion and violence.
The murder of 14-year-old Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi in Istanbul’s Kadıköy district sparked public outrage and opened the door to a broader debate. The fact that those charged in the Minguzzi case are under the age of 18 has led to demands that children be tried in adult courts. While the victim’s family and segments of social media have called for legal reforms regarding juvenile offenders, Minister of Justice Yılmaz Tunç and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) have responded positively to these demands. Legal professionals, particularly those using the term “children pushed into crime,” have come under direct attack during this period.

Yasemin Soydan, a lawyer and member of the Association of Lawyers for Freedom (ÖHD) Commission on Children’s Rights and Memory, emphasized that crimes involving children cannot be addressed through violence or exclusion. She also stated that in the course of this debate, Kurdish children have become particular targets. Soydan highlighted the extreme sensitivity of the issue and spoke to ANF in detail about the situation.

These narratives completely erase international achievements

Lawyer Yasemin Soydan stated that crimes involving children must not be addressed through violence and exclusion but rather built on a foundation of trust. Soydan spoke specifically about the recent debate sparked by the murder of Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi and said: “I remember Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi, who lost his life on 24 January 2025, with sorrow and respect, and I offer my condolences to his family. This loss has deeply shaken us all and reminded us once again of how serious the work on children's rights must be. I only wish we could recognize these realities and protect children without having to witness such tragic events.

However, it is alarming that the outcome of such a painful loss is once again being shaped by pressure and punitive approaches directed at children. Justice for children must be built not through violence and exclusion, but through restoration, understanding, and trust.

In recent weeks, we’ve seen serious public mobilization, and through social media, a space of manipulation has emerged, one dominated by punitive rhetoric targeting the child justice system. We are seeing terms like ‘killer child’ or ‘child perpetrators’ being used for children who are currently under investigation or prosecution. Demands are being raised for harsh sentences, even without assessing the child’s criminal capacity. These narratives completely erase the international achievements that were won through long and difficult struggles.”

New sentencing reforms may be shaped by this hostile climate

Soydan stated that the online discourse surrounding juvenile justice has taken a dangerous turn, with much of the anger being directed at Kurdish children. She expressed concern that recent announcements from the Ministry of Justice regarding new sentencing reforms, along with reports that the President has issued related instructions, suggest these reforms may be shaped by the current toxic atmosphere: “In a time that should be devoted to peace, what we truly need to discuss is how to ensure a good life for children, how to create an environment of peace, tolerance, and love. But instead, the belief that justice can be achieved by punishing children is being persistently promoted. Justice is being reduced to a demand for confinement alone. These narratives strip justice of its real meaning and turn it into a tool for malicious, exclusionary rhetoric targeting a specific group. It is clear that this is not a good-faith approach.

Yet before a child is pushed toward crime, many warning signs appear that can be recognized in time. Public institutions and responsible authorities can intervene early to prevent these children from being harmed. One of the state’s fundamental responsibilities is to identify the conditions that drive children toward crime and to implement effective, protective, and preventative measures. We can no longer ignore how a system focused on support instead of punishment can truly transform a child’s life.

Locking a child in prison, excluding them from society, punishing them, these bad-faith approaches are now being directed especially at Kurdish children through social media, capitalizing on the emotional shock created by the Mattia Ahmet Minguzzi case. At the same time, the Ministry of Justice’s preparation of new sentencing reforms, and reports that the President has issued instructions in this regard, raise serious concerns that these reforms may be shaped by this negative environment. It risks reversing long-standing protections in the field of juvenile justice and moving toward an increasingly punitive system.”

The importance of childhood and the need to protect children’s rights under all conditions

Yasemin Soydan stated that Turkey remains a country where children face serious forms of exploitation in nearly every area of life. She explained that children are forced to grow up under the weight of the economic crisis, racism, sexual abuse, drugs, and numerous other harmful conditions: “Turkish society still does not fully grasp the significance of childhood. Childhood is a sensitive period in which all values and social perspectives are shaped and transformed. It is a stage that lays the foundation not only for physical growth, but also for emotional, mental, and social development. That is why the environment in which a child grows must be one that supports healthy development. We must keep violence and abuse away from children entirely. Every interaction and intervention involving a child during this period must be carried out with great care and attention.

The recognition of this perspective as a legal norm is a very recent achievement. In every new era, we must work to further develop these achievements and sincerely discuss how we can build a better life for children. Unfortunately, Turkey is still an environment where children are subjected to serious forms of exploitation in every area. Children are forced to live under the effects of economic crisis, racism, sexual abuse, substance abuse, and many other negative conditions. We are not fully aware of how deeply we impact the living space of a child in such conditions, or how every action we take may compound and create an atmosphere of trauma for them.”[1]