The Gündem Children's Association has issued a report, saying that in 2014 at least 627 children died in Turkey and North Kurdistan in preventable incidents. The Human Rights Association (IHD) has announced that in the first 3 months of 2015 a total of 122 children have died.

The Gündem Children's Association announced its report for 2014 at a press statement in the association building.

Spokesperson Ezgi Koman said that in 2014 at least 627 children had died.

State killed 38 children

Koman said that children had died while on the way to school, while watching TV, on the street, in traffic, while receiving treatment and while flleing conflict as they crossed the border.

Koman added that 8 children had died as the result of police violence, 2 in extra-judicial killings, and 2 while in custody.

'The authorities failed to take precautions and 589 children died as a result'

Koman said a total of 589 children had died as a result of negligence.

The Human Rights Association (IHD) said that of 122 children who had died in the first 3 months of this year, it was claimed 13 had committed suicide. She added that 640 children had also been injured as a result of police intervention in social upheaval. The IHD report also said that 205 children had been arrested and 18 remanded in custody. 872 children were listed by the National Ministry of Education as 'potential offenders'. There have also been over a hundred cases of sexual abuse and rape in state institutions such as prisons, schools and hostels.

The IHD report also drew attention to the importance of children being granted the right to mother tongue education and criticised the continuing compulsory religious classes in schools, despite the judgments of international human rights courts.