Our Minister of Family and Social Services, Derya Yanık, stated that the case regarding the allegation of sexual abuse of a 6-year-old child was reported to them on December 2, 2022, and that they were involved in the case on the same day. Yanık said: “For us, there is only one value to be protected, it is the child, the woman, the victim. We did not look at the identity, age or gender of the victim. Whatever the necessary legal process, we did all of them without interruption.”

Minister Derya Yanık responded to the opinions and criticisms of the deputies on the 2023 budget of the Ministry at the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Regarding the allegations that a 6-year-old child was sexually abused, Minister Yanık said, "The victim applied to the public prosecutor's office on 30 November 2020. The matter was handed over to us by the prosecutor's office. We took the victim to the first reception unit of our Violence Prevention Monitoring Centre on December 4, 2020, and to our women's guesthouse on December 8, 2020."

Yanık said, "During this period, the victim has no psychosocial support, no health support, no literacy, and no education. She has a child with her, we give vocational training to the victim, she receives culinary training, she learns English and she becomes a person to make a living on her own."

"We waited so as not to risk the safety of herself and her child"

Explaining that they have been working to ensure the victim's privacy for a long time, Yanık said, "The date the public became aware of this issue, the date the lawsuit was filed. The case was reported to us on December 2, 2022. We got involved in the case on the same date. Friends criticize us for making our statement late. Yes, we made the statement 3 days later, why? Because we did not know how much information was reflected to the public about the victim. Therefore, we waited for a while in order not to risk the safety of herself and her child, and to learn exactly how much information is reflected in open sources."

Minister Derya Yanık noted that they provided all kinds of support to the victim incessantly. In a news broadcast on Halk TV, Minister Yanık explained that the Ministry of Family and Social Services had provided the necessary support for the victim from the very beginning.

"We did not look at the identity, age or gender of the victim"

"For us, there is only one value to be protected, it is a child, a woman, a victim. We did not look at the identity, age or gender of the victim." Yanık continued her speech as follows:

“Whatever the necessary legal process, we did all of them without interruption. We did this, but today, those who accuse us remained silent about dozens of harassment and abuse within their own organizations. Those who accuse us of being silent will not be able to cover their own record with this shout today. It is the AK Party that has removed the concept of honour killing from the memory of this nation. You could not be in power, this nation did not make you power, but you became a partner in power. Why didn't you change that law when you became a partner in power? Who changed that law? Who removed the concept of honour killing from the memory of this nation? The AK Party removed."

Yanık, saying that the AK Party has changed the whole paradigm regarding women and children, said that despite the open information reflected in the press, opposition deputies manipulated.

Minister Derya Yanık also made evaluations about the work of the Ministry. Minister Yanık said that they aim to establish the Family and Social Services Research and Application Institute. Indicating that they are constantly expanding family and premarital education, Yanık said that "Family Education Program", "Pre-Marriage Education Program" and family counselling services are some of them.

Minister Derya Yanık announced that they will share the results of Türkiye Family Structure Survey (TAYA), Türkiye Adolescent Profile Survey (TEPA), Türkiye University Youth Profile Survey and Türkiye Reasons for Divorce Survey with the public.

Yanık, sharing the information that awareness trainings were given to 1.1 million people in cooperation with the Green Crescent, stated that services for children are carried out with a family-oriented understanding and strategy, and the rate of children benefiting from family-oriented services has increased from 39 percent to 92 percent since 2002.

Pointing out that the number of children actively benefiting from Social and Economic Support (SED) services has exceeded 150 thousand as of October 2022, Yanık pointed out that while the number of children staying with foster families was 515 in 2002, it reached 8,845 as of October 2022.

Minister Yanık said that with the adoption of 430 children in 2022, the total number of adopted children reached 18,821.

Indicating that they brought childcare services to the home environment, Yanık said, "While there were only 3 Children's Homes Sites in 2002, this number has increased to 113 today. Currently, nearly 6,000 children receive service in our 1191 Children's Home."

Minister Yanık explained that the Türkiye Children Profile Survey, which will cover all children aged 0-17, will be the first in its field in Türkiye to form the basis of policies regarding children.

Following the completion of the speeches, the 2023 budget of the Ministry of Family and Social Services was accepted in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye.