Accessing Children’s Right to Play in Türkiye within the Fundamental Principles of the United Nations Convention on Children’s Rights

In this study, the legal characteristics and the accessibility of the right to play, accepted as a fundamental children’s right in United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), are analyzed within the context of Türkiye. This analysis considers the issue regarding the fundamental principles of the UNCRC: non-discrimination, the best interest of the child, the right to survival and development and the views of the child. According to Article 31/1 of the UNCRC, “States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.” The barriers to accessibility of the right to play result in the violation of the fundamental principles of the UNCRC and the UNCRC itself. The importance and the legal characteristics of the right to play has been addressed within the scope of the adults’ approaches in the field of urban, educational and cultural policies and examined in the context of the barriers faced by particular groups and exceptions. This paper aims to promote the mentioned right as a fundamental right by examining the legislation and practice in Türkiye.