Ersen KARAKAYA (.
Google
The scene at the domestic departures floor of Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport is nothing short of disgraceful. The so-called “children’s play area” provided by TAV is essentially a TV, a few plastic chairs, and some decorative pieces — nothing more. There is no space for physical activity, no meaningful play structure, nothing that actually serves a child’s needs. In a major airport, this area should allow children to move, burn energy, and play safely. Instead, it looks like a token gesture created simply to say “we have a play area,” without providing any real function or value. Meanwhile, just a few meters away, the Turkish Airlines VIP lounge (accessible only to paying passengers) features a proper play park — spacious, colorful, and full of equipment that allows real physical activity.
So essentially, there are play opportunities for children whose parents can pay, and nothing for those who cannot. This is completely at odds with Atatürk’s vision and the principles of the Republic he entrusted to its children. Turning a child’s basic need for movement and play into a privilege tied to money directly contradicts the spirit of equality that modern Turkey is meant to uphold. In a public space like an airport, children’s right to play should never depend on financial status. TAV’s “free play area” is not a public service — it’s a decorative corner, designed more for PR photos than for real use.
In the Republic of Turkey, this kind of double standard toward children is unacceptable. If Atatürk’s vision — “The future is in the skies” — is to mean anything, then the free play area must match the quality of the paid one. Otherwise, it is not children being served — only profit. And that is absolutely unacceptable