Turkish Family Minister puts toddler under state protection after family gives him alcohol

AYDIN – Doğan News Agency

The Family and Social Policies Ministry has taken a three-year-old boy in the Aegean province of Aydın under state protection after his family shared photos of him while making him drink alcohol on social media. A judicial process has also been launched into the father. 

The incident was discovered after social media users called on the ministry to take action after seeing the photos posted by the family. “We said let’s drink with our son,” read the photo’s caption.

Upon the reaction of social media users, the family has closed their account. An investigation has been launched by the Aydın Provincial Directorate of the Family and Social Policies Ministry.

Meanwhile, the ministry released a statement on its website on March 25 regarding the incident.

“It is the priority and common aim of all of us to protect our children, who are the future, from every kind of abuse, to support their health developments and to make them prepare for the future with safety. Following the social media post, which is unexplainable, our ministry’s teams have immediately taken action and together with the joint work of our police forces, we have reached the family by identifying them and their address information,” read the statement.

“Following an analysis conducted by our ministry’s expert personnel at the family’s house, the child has been put under state protection. Our ministry is providing every support to the child. With respect to the father, a judicial process has been launched,” the ministry said.