Allegations that vocational high school students interning at the Parliament cafeteria were sexually abused by staff have sparked public outrage. The scandal surfaced after a 16-year-old intern reported the abuse and presented incriminating messages to law enforcement.
According to reports in Turkish media, the abuse is believed to have occurred systematically over several years, with some staff members allegedly “sharing” incoming interns.
The incident renewed scrutiny of the Education Ministry’s Vocational Training Centers, known as MESEM, which have already faced criticism over a rising number of child labor deaths that have prompted protests.
The Parliament’s General Secretariat said that an administrative investigation was launched after a formal complaint. One civil servant was dismissed and the contracts of two additional staff members were terminated following sexual harassment allegations.
The accused employee was detained and later arrested following a court order. Investigations into other individuals named in the complaint are ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Ankara Women’s Platform gathered outside Parliament’s Dikmen Gate to protest the abuse.
