Child Soldiers in Turkey Essay -- Child Soldiers

It is internationally accepted that all nations abide by the rules set forth by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child that, "State parties shall take all feasible measures to ensure that persons who have not attained the age of 15 years do not take a direct part in hostilities." Individuals aged 15 to 18 may enroll in the army if they choose so and with parental consent. After the child turns 18 he/she may be drafted to the army if the country so chooses. The Turkish government is in total agreement and acceptance of these laws. According to Turkish law, the enforced enrollment age for the army is 19 and the voluntary enrollment age is 18. According to the Turkish Constitution, National Defense Service Law 3634 states, â€Å"in cases of general or partial mobilization and in preparation of mobilization under a state of emergency, children under the age of 15 ... shall not be held liable†. The Turkish Constitution allows the abeyance of the soldiers freedom and liberty and other extreme measures. With a minimum entrance age of 15 years, admission to military high schools is voluntary, but requires parental consent. In total compliance with the human rights laws, Turkey hopes to see an improvement with groups, gangs, and countries that do not follow the laws set forth by the UN. As of now, there is an independent ethnic coalition in the Southeastern section of Turkey named the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK.) The PKK is a formation of Marxist-Leninist fo...