Türkiye’s Parliament is set to review starting next week a sweeping proposal that would expand maternity and paternity leave and impose new regulations on social media use for minors, lawmakers said Friday.
The 29-article package, including amendments to the Social Services Law, will be discussed in the Family, Labor and Social Affairs Committee on April 2.
The proposal, put forward by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party), aims to strengthen family policies while enhancing protections for children both online and offline. If approved, maternity leave for working mothers would increase from 18 weeks to 24 weeks, with mothers currently on leave benefiting from the extension.
The plan also allows mothers to transfer six weeks of their eight-week prenatal leave to the postnatal period upon request. Paternity leave for fathers would rise from five days to 10, aligning it with civil servants’ entitlements.
The legislation also targets children’s online safety. It would prohibit social media use for those under 15, requiring social network providers to implement algorithm-based age verification and parental control systems. Accounts found to belong to users under 15 would be closed, and companies distributing online games in Türkiye would be required to maintain local representatives.
Experts stress the importance of monitoring children’s social media use alongside these regulations. Kerime Begüm Özkaya, a specialist psychologist at Sivas Medicana Hospital, said that such oversight should focus on guidance rather than coercion. “Knowing their circle of friends is extremely important. Families need to know very well who their children spend time with, where they spend their time, who their friend groups are. Social media use, in particular, should be monitored,” Özkaya said.
Other measures in the package aim to support family structures more broadly. Foster families would receive a 10-day leave to spend with children in their care, while the state could cover social security premiums for spouses without insurance.
The proposal further seeks to protect children from potential harm by banning individuals convicted of crimes against minors from working in environments where children are concentrated, including schools, nurseries, day care centers, student dormitories and on school transportation. Businesses operated by such individuals that serve children would be transferred within six months to new management.
Following committee discussions, the legislation is expected to be approved and forwarded to Parliament for final passage, potentially reshaping parental leave policies and child protection in Türkiye.
