The Turkish Parliament has opened an internal investigation into claims that high school student interns working in its cafeteria were sexually abused by staff after a complaint from a parent, Turkish Minute reported.
The parliament’s general secretariat said a cafeteria employee who worked as a cook was removed from the job and that an internal inquiry is under way, with results expected by December 12.
The statement said findings will be shared with judicial authorities, while Turkish media reports that some parents have already filed complaints with the public prosecutor’s office.
According to outlets such as BirGün and T24, cafeteria staff targeted girl interns over several years, spoke about them as “this one is mine, that one is yours,” contacted them on social media and WhatsApp and used pet names such as “little lover.”
The interns are vocational and technical high school students who work in the parliament building under workplace training programs that place teenagers in public institutions and private companies.
The case came to light after one girl told her family about messages and behavior from a cafeteria worker, and the family filed a written complaint to the general secretariat on November 19.
Officials say they opened an administrative investigation on November 20 and began to interview the student, her family and cafeteria staff as part of the internal probe.
The general secretariat said the cook was removed from duty on December 4, and that other workers could be removed from public service or lose their jobs if the investigation confirms the claims.
BirGün and T24 cite sources who say dozens of girl interns may have faced harassment or abuse in the cafeteria over the course of several years but that parliament has so far confirmed only one formal complaint and one suspension.
Under Turkish law sexual abuse of minors can bring prison terms starting at eight years, and public servants who abuse students in institutions can face heavier punishment.
The case comes as vocational training schemes in Turkey face criticism from rights groups, who say programs that send teenagers to workplaces expose them to cheap labor, accidents and abuse.
Bar associations and child protection advocates call for stronger checks on workplaces that receive student interns and for clear complaint channels that do not depend on the direct employer.
In 2018 parliament confirmed that a male staff member had harassed a 16-year-old female intern in the main building and said the worker was dismissed from public service after an internal investigation.
