50 children killed by land mines, bombs in Turkey in 2011

PanARMENIAN.Net - Fifty children were killed in Turkey by land mines, bombs and random gunfire in 2011, according to a report titled “Children’s Right to Life” released by Children’s Rights Center and Agenda Child Association.

Emrah Kırımsoy from the association said that 477 children have been killed by land mines, bombs and random gunfire since 1990. In a move to address this issue, a training program on bombs and weapons was launched last week in primary schools in Silvan, Diyarbakır province, where the level of such incidents is higher than in other provinces.

Educators, as part of the program, which aims to raise children’s awareness of explosives, will introduce children to mines, weapons, bombs and other different kinds of explosives and instruct them on what to do should they come across an explosive or weapon.

Over 27,000 students from 125 primary schools in Silvan are receiving the training on the request of the Silvan Gendarmerie Command.

The Silvan National Education Directorate earlier approved an official proposal for raising awareness on bombs and weapons in elementary schools submitted by the Silvan Gendarmerie Command.

Signs warning of land mines have also been put up in halls of many of the schools to draw students’ attention to the issue. The scheme has sparked concern among some people who believe the program may make children more interested in bombs and weapons, while others think the training will be beneficial given the number of children that have been killed by explosives in the region, Today’s Zaman reported.