Older Persons Week is important in terms of emphasizing that human rights also apply to older persons, eliminating all kinds of prejudice and discrimination against them, and shaping the attitudes and behaviors of the society. Older Persons Week, which is celebrated between 18-24 March every year, is seen as an opportunity to emphasize the importance of older persons in our society and to express respect and love for them. Through this week, it is aimed to ensure that the necessary work is carried out to improve older persons' quality of life, to support them in aging in a healthy way, and to prevent the violations of their rights, raising awareness on these issues.

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly designated the period between 2021 and 2030 as the "Decade of Healthy Ageing" and stated that the biggest obstacle to older people reaching their fundamental rights is existing prejudices. World Social Report 2023 prepared by the UN with the motto "Leaving No One Behind in an Ageing World", predicts that the global population of older people will reach 1.6 billion in 2050. In our country, according to the data of TurkStat, the population rate of older persons increased to double digits for the first time in the history of the Republic and was recorded as 10.2%.

The increase in the population group of older persons makes it necessary to address many issues that need to be provided as rights, such as care and health services, access to technological opportunities, access to justice and elderly-friendly cities. Older persons, who have the potential to play an important role in national development if their potential is expressed, are often unable to benefit from employment opportunities and are excluded (HREIT Türkiye Report on Older Persons, 2022, p. 25). Discrimination on the grounds of age (ageism) constitutes one of the grounds of discrimination which has increased on a global scale, especially in recent years. This attitude, which older people are exposed to especially in business life, social life, and during the exercise of their fundamental rights, emerges as one of the most fundamental human rights violations. According to the Global Report on Ageism published by the World Health Organization in 2021, globally, one in two people are ageist against older people. In an another study regarding older persons, it has been found that one in every six older persons is abused (Y. Yon, C.R. Mikton, Z.D. Gassoumis, K.H. Wilber, Elder Abuse Prevalence in Community Settings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, 2017, s.147-156).

All these numerical data reveal the necessity of carrying out multi-actor and multi-stakeholder works to protect and promote the rights of older persons as rights subjects. As a matter of fact, eliminating the obstacles that prevent older persons from exercising their fundamental human rights, realizing that they are active members of society, and treating them equally in all areas of social life is a requirement of respect for human rights and one of the basic elements of social justice.

Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, whose main mission is “to protect and promote human rights, to work to guarantee the right of individuals to be treated equally, and to effectively combat torture and ill-treatment”, continues its work in the field of protecting and promoting the rights of the elderly and combating age discrimination within the framework of this institutional mission. We celebrate March 18-24 Older Persons Week with the hope of a world where older people are shown due respect and importance.

Respectfully announced to the public.