The phenomenon of old age, which has come to the agenda with a large increase in future projections of the world population and is therefore the subject of many current discussions, brings along a number of potential problems with events such as war and climate change. Abuse of older person, which is one of these problems, refers to behaviours that are repeated once or more than once or neglected in a way that may cause distress and/or harm to older person within any trust relationship.(1)  Due to the importance of the issue, June 15 was declared as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly.

In its resolution A/RES/66/127, the UN General Assembly called for increased efforts to combat abuse, which is an integral part of the rights of older persons, as well as to ensure welfare and healthcare for older persons, and to take the necessary measures to ensure that older persons live a life worthy of human dignity.(2) Furthermore, a theme is determined by the UN every year to raise awareness for the World Elder Abuse Awareness Day and activities are carried out in line with this theme. The theme for 2024 is “Spotlight on Older Persons in Emergencies”, recognizing that older persons are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters, pandemics and conflicts, and that the stress and chaos created by emergencies increase the risk of abuse.(3)  Abuse of older person, which is an important area that needs to be tackled in the field of older persons’ rights, is thought to increase gradually with the rising older person population. According to the World Health Organization, older person population is expected to reach 1.4 billion in 2030 and 2 billion in 2050, while the number of abused older person is expected to reach 320 million in 2050.(4)

Rights of older persons are a category of rights guaranteed by our national law. Pursuant to Article 10 of the Constitution, which regulates equality and non-discrimination, and Article 61, which specifies those who need special protection in terms of social security, older persons are specifically emphasized and included within the scope of positive discrimination. Within the framework of these provisions, many sub-norms have been issued and various action and implementation plans have been put into effect.(5)

Our Institution, whose main mission is to ensure the right to equal treatment of persons based on human dignity and to prevent discrimination in the enjoyment of legally recognized rights and freedoms, continues to work to prevent cases of abuse that older persons may face through visits to nursing homes and older person care facilities. In fulfilling its role as a National Preventive Mechanism, our Institution works to prevent discrimination against older persons within the scope of its duty to combat discrimination and equality. Additionally, our Institution engages in awareness-raising activities and reporting within the scope of its duty to protect and promote human rights. In this regard, our Institution joins the global community in commemorating World Elder Abuse Awareness Day with the aspiration of a world where all forms of mistreatment of older persons are eradicated and able to exercise their fundamental rights and freedoms without discrimination.

Respectfully announced to the public.