EXTENDED SUMMARY

Extended Abstract

Introduction

In modern societies, the role of youth as a dynamic and productive demographic is widely acknowledged. Far beyond their demographic weight, young people are now seen as vital human capital crucial to economic growth, innovation, and sustainable development (Hanushek & Woessmann, 2023; Güneri, 2024). However, youth-related challenges -ranging from unemployment to social alienation- are becoming increasingly complex, particularly in rapidly transforming societies like Türkiye. While considerable literature has addressed youth problems such as unemployment, education deficits, digital addiction, violence, and criminal behavior, there is a notable gap concerning how youth-related policies are shaped and discussed at the legislative level. The Turkish Grand National Assembly (GNAT) plays a central role in policy development through instruments such as parliamentary research proposals. This study seeks to address that gap by analyzing youth-related research proposals submitted to the GNAT between 2003 and 2025.

Method

The study employs a qualitative research design, specifically utilizing document analysis. The sample includes 103 youth-related parliamentary research proposals submitted between 2003 and March 2025. These documents were accessed through a keyword search (“young” and “youth”) on the GNAT’s official website. Using thematic analysis, researchers independently coded the content of each proposal.

Findings

The analysis of 103 youth-related parliamentary research proposals submitted to the Turkish Grand National Assembly (GNAT) between 2003 and 2025 revealed several significant findings. First and foremost, the most frequently addressed issue across all legislative periods was youth unemployment and employment-related problems. The proposals consistently emphasized the structural difficulties young people face during their transition from education to employment, including skill mismatches, lack of job opportunities, and regional disparities in labor market access. Closely following this theme were concerns related to substance use and addiction, particularly the growing use of drugs among youth and the inadequacies in addiction treatment services. Digital dependency and behavioral addictions such as online gaming and gambling also emerged as prevalent themes in recent years, reflecting shifts in youth behavior and lifestyle associated with the digitalization of everyday life. Another major theme was youth-related violence and crime, with numerous proposals drawing attention to the increasing tendency of youth to engage in or fall victim to violence, as well as the risks of radicalization and participation in extremist groups. The proposals often highlighted the role of social exclusion, psychological vulnerability, and lack of community belonging in fostering such behaviors. Additionally, education-related issues were consistently featured, including barriers to accessing quality education, disparities in educational outcomes, and the need for curricular reforms to better align education with labor market demands.

Importantly, the proposals addressed vulnerable youth populations, particularly those under state protection or reintegrating into society after incarceration. Concerns were raised about the insufficiency of support mechanisms for youth exiting child protection institutions or correctional facilities, with emphasis on the need for rehabilitation and social inclusion programs. Themes concerning youth mental health and suicide, while less frequent, became more prominent in the 27th and 28th legislative terms, pointing to rising awareness of psychological distress among young people. From a political perspective, the findings showed that the Republican People’s Party (CHP) was by far the most active political party in submitting youth-related research proposals, accounting for more than half of the total. CHP’s proposals spanned across nearly all identified themes, indicating a multidimensional approach to youth issues. In contrast, the Justice and Development Party (AKP), despite being the ruling party for most of the period analyzed, submitted a relatively low number of proposals, most of which were concentrated in earlier legislative terms.

Discussion

The findings indicate that youth issues, particularly unemployment, addiction, and violence, are recurring themes in Turkish parliamentary discourse. Youth unemployment emerges as the most emphasized concern, consistent with literature highlighting its long-term socio-economic and psychological impacts (Akcan, 2018; UNDP, 2022). The increasing attention to addiction -including substance use, digital dependency, and gambling -reflects growing awareness of youth vulnerability in the face of social exclusion and future uncertainty (Köken & Koç, 2022). However, proposals often lack holistic, preventive frameworks and tend to focus on surface-level solutions. Youth involvement in violence and radicalization is another rising concern. While some proposals acknowledge social and psychological causes, many frame the issue through security-focused narratives, overlooking deeper structural factors such as exclusion and identity crises (Demir, 2007). Mental health and youth suicide are notably underrepresented despite their growing urgency, pointing to a significant policy gap. The political dynamics of proposal submission also reveal disparities. CHP has been the most proactive party on youth issues, while ruling party AKP has shown limited engagement through research proposals.