Important Step for Digital Safety: Safe Internet Service Cooperation Protocol Signed

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A Safe Internet Service Cooperation Protocol was signed between the Information Technologies and Communication Authority (BTHK) and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, with the aim of supporting children and families in using the internet more safely in the digital environment.

Within the scope of the 'Digital Bullying, Addiction and Protection Symposium' organized by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, efforts to protect children in the digital environment and inter-institutional cooperation were addressed. Within the framework of the symposium, a Letter of Intent on the protection of children in the digital environment was signed between the Republic of Türkiye Ministry of Family and Social Services and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security, while a Safe Internet Service Cooperation Protocol was also signed between BTHK and the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The symposium was attended by Minister of Labour and Social Security Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı, Republic of Türkiye Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Republic of Türkiye Ambassador to Lefkoşa Ali Murat Başçeri, BTHK President Kadri Bürüncük, Director of the Department of Social Services Alev Ecevit, along with public institutions, sector representatives and relevant stakeholders.

In his speech, BTHK President Kadri Bürüncük stated that while the internet offers important opportunities for children, it also brings along various risks, noting that their aim is not to keep children away from the internet, but to raise them as individuals who can navigate the digital world safely. Emphasizing that digital safety cannot be ensured through technical measures alone, Bürüncük said, 'The strongest protection is open communication, a relationship of trust, and digital awareness.

In his speech, BTHK President Kadri Bürüncük stated that while the internet offers important opportunities for children, it also brings along various risks, noting that their aim is not to keep children away from the internet, but to raise them as individuals who can navigate the digital world safely. Emphasizing that digital safety cannot be ensured through technical measures alone, Bürüncük said, 'The strongest protection is open communication, a relationship of trust, and digital awareness.

Noting that new regulations for the protection of children in the digital environment have been put into effect in many countries around the world, Bürüncük stated that in the TRNC, legal regulations in this area have been submitted to Parliament, and that the necessary legislative work is aimed to be completed as soon as possible.

Minister of Public Works and Transport Erhan Arıklı, meanwhile, pointed out that cyberbullying has today become a significant threat affecting not only children but also young people, families, and adults. Touching on the effects of digital addiction on society, Arıklı stated that developing digital literacy and raising awareness among families are of great importance. Arıklı also emphasized that cooperation among relevant institutions should be strengthened in order to combat crimes occurring in the online environment more effectively.

Republic of Türkiye Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş also drew attention in her speech to the risks children may encounter in the digital environment as technology takes up an increasingly larger place in daily life. Emphasizing the importance of efforts to enable children to be present in safe digital environments, Göktaş stated that the 'Yanındayız, Güvendesin' (We Are With You, You Are Safe) website will be an important resource that children and families can turn to against the risks they may face in the digital world.

Minister of Labour and Social Security Oğuzhan Hasipoğlu, for his part, stated in his speech that children's safety is too valuable to be left to chance, saying that leaving a safer digital world to children is a shared responsibility. Stating that the threats children face in the digital world cannot be ignored, Hasipoğlu noted that, for the first time in the TRNC, a comprehensive web portal dedicated to children's digital safety has been launched. Stating that guidance is provided to children, young people, and families through the 'Yanındayız, Güvendesin' web portal, Hasipoğlu noted that an early intervention and reporting mechanism has been established through a WhatsApp hotline, and that a more protected digital environment for children will be ensured through safe internet packages.