AK Party's Güler gave a date: Age limit is coming to social media.

The issue of imposing an age limit on social media in Turkey has been on the agenda for a long time, while the Child Rights Sub-Commission established within the Human Rights Commission of the Parliament has decided to visit four countries, including the UK, the USA, Norway, and Japan, which implement age restrictions on social media.

While the process continues, AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler, who met with members of the press today, provided a timeline regarding the implementation of age limits on social media. Güler stated, "It has become essential to make legal arrangements to protect our children under the age of 16 from the harms of social media and online games and to prevent the spread of such content. The basis of the regulation will primarily be to increase the responsibilities and oversight of internet service providers and social network platforms," he said.

A DATE HAS BEEN GIVEN FOR THE NEW REGULATION

Regarding the issue, TBMM AK Party Group Chairman Abdullah Güler mentioned that the Ministry of Family, the Ministry of Interior, and the Ministry of Justice are working on regulations related to age restrictions on social media, stating, "Our Human Rights Commission has a sub-commission. We see that there are restrictions on access to certain sites and social media for specific age groups, based on both European examples and examples from developed countries. We observe that such freedoms during the developmental stage of children can seriously harm both their psychology and their preparation for life. Therefore, both the situation regarding age groups and certain categories will emerge afterward. I estimate that it will come to the Parliament's agenda around February or March," he said.

"THERE MAY BE A GRADUAL TRANSITION STARTING FROM 13 TO 16 YEARS OLD"

Commission Chair Radiye Sezer Katırcıoğlu stated that her personal view regarding the age limit for social media is "starting from 13 years and gradually increasing to 16 years." Katırcıoğlu said, "We will obtain the details of the implementations from the lawmakers. We also want to see the impact analyses of these implementations. Is it 13 years? Is it 16 years? Which one has been a more accurate starting point? We will also examine the experiences in this regard," she said.

THE FIRST STEP FOR A JOINT LEGISLATION WORK

The predominant view in the commission is to start from 13 years and gradually transition to 16 years. In addition to foreign applications, the Ministry of Family and Social Services will seek opinions from Child Provincial Committees. The first step for a joint legislation work with the Parliament's Digital Media Commission will be taken in January. Roundtable discussions will also be held with the Ministries of Family, Transport, and Interior. A common working text will be created by combining the data.