27.10.2025 22:36
Derya Yanık, the AK Party Osmaniye Deputy, who was a guest on Haberler.com, made striking evaluations regarding Turkey's population policies. Highlighting that Turkey's population has been on a decline for the last 40 years, Yanık emphasized that population density directly affects many parameters of a country, stating, "If there is no population transformation, you will be erased from history."
On the news website, AK Party Osmaniye Member of Parliament and Chair of the Human Rights Inquiry Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey (TBMM), Derya Yanık, made striking evaluations regarding Turkey's population policies.
Pointing out that Turkey's population has been on a decline for the last 40 years, Yanık emphasized that population density directly affects many parameters of a country, stating, "If there is no population transformation, you will be erased from history."
Yanık's evaluations on the subject are as follows:
"TURKEY'S POPULATION HAS NOT DECREASED IN THE LAST 5 YEARS OR 10 YEARS; IT HAS BEEN DECREASING REGULARLY FOR 45 YEARS"
"Turkey's population is not decreasing in recent years. Turkey's population has been decreasing for the last 40 years. It may have been decreasing for an even longer period. It has been decreasing for the last 45 years, especially when we look back to 1980.
After 1980, a very intense population planning activity was implemented in Turkey. This has been a population planning activity carried out for 45 years since 1980, both by the state and through state-supported civil society organizations, associations, and foundations. In fact, birth control planning is involved.
Therefore, Turkey's population has not decreased in the last 5 years or 10 years. Turkey's population has been decreasing regularly for 45 years. However, as you will appreciate, no social event occurs overnight. You cannot suddenly recover from it, eliminate its negative effects, and suddenly highlight its positive effects. It is the same here.
RESEARCH AND DATA
Indeed, look, our Ministry of Family and Social Services conducts the 'Turkey Family Structure' research. This is a very comprehensive study conducted by TÜİK every 5 years. It has been ongoing since 2011, if I am not mistaken, starting from 2016.
During my time as a minister, we conducted the last one in 2021. I believe it will be conducted again in 2026. Because it needs to be done every 5 years. When the results of 2021 came out, I had a comparative table prepared to see where Turkey has been in the last 15 years, where it is going, and what could happen in the next 5 years, taking into account the results of 2016 and 2011 during my time as a minister. My colleagues and I discussed this table for long hours and made some determinations regarding our policies based on it.
Therefore, there was a rate of population cycle, meaning the society's ability to regulate its own demographic characteristics. This is 2.10. That is, the second 10 of population growth. However, as of 2024, this was 1.48. Unfortunately, it is decreasing every year.
When we conducted that study, we saw this: Turkey's population has been dramatically decreasing for the last 20 years, 15 years, and continues to decrease. The calls made by our President about 'at least 3 children', 'strengthening the family', and 'encouraging childbearing' are based on these studies and scientific data.
If we only look at recent years and ask why it has decreased so much, we would not be accurately identifying the issue. We can discuss the entire process, where and for what reasons the decline began, and what interventions; or rather, what contributions we can make to strengthen the family structure and make it healthier, so that having children becomes a more preferred choice.
"WE HAVE ACHIEVED IN 25 YEARS WHAT EUROPE HAS ACHIEVED IN ABOUT 100-125 YEARS"
Therefore, we need to accurately identify why and how the population in Turkey has decreased. This is a vital corner in terms of repairing the issue. Because there is also this: Look, when we talk only about the family structure, it is like this, and when we make a comparison, it is a point I have mentioned in my speeches from time to time.
In Europe, the speed of population aging has decreased; we have achieved in 25 years what Europe has achieved in about 100-125 years. I am not saying this. I am sharing a reality that has emerged as a result of measurements made by scientists.
"WE HAVE GONE FROM AVERAGE ANATOLIAN FAMILIES WITH 8 CHILDREN TO FAMILIES WITH AT MOST 2 CHILDREN"
So why is this the case? This is the reason. That is, due to the very dramatic population planning implemented for the last 45 years, we have suddenly gone from average Anatolian families with 9-10 children or 7-8 children to families with at most 2 children. This is now the case not only in cities but also in rural areas.
Therefore, this speed has suddenly brought us from a period where we boasted about having a very young population and a large number of children to a dramatic decline. Because Europe was experiencing a natural slowdown in population. We experienced that process in a controlled and suppressed manner.
Now, without knowing this, without seeing these, any solutions we propose today to increase our population would be incomplete.
"POPULATION DENSITY IS A FACTOR THAT DIRECTLY AFFECTS MANY PARAMETERS OF A COUNTRY AND A SOCIETY"
In this sense, our institutions and organizations, all relevant ministries, our Ministry of Health, National Education, Ministry of Family and Social Services, and when we look at the security policies side, our Ministry of Interior, our Ministry of Justice, all institutions and organizations are making serious efforts and progress on this issue.
However, I believe that the social aspect of the issue should not be overlooked, especially. I think it is necessary to share why population growth or the population is so important.
We do not suddenly say that our President or our ministers, ministries, and institutions love children so much, yes, we love children, but it is not just because we want it, let’s have everyone have children… No, look. Population and population density are factors that directly affect many parameters of a country and a society.
What is one? Security. Two, producing economic welfare, making the workforce sustainable. Three, it is a factor that significantly affects the ability of social life to continue its own dynamics. In other words, the issue is not just about Turkey's population of 86 million, 90 million, or 100 million.
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"IF THERE IS NO POPULATION TRANSFORMATION, YOU WILL BE ERASED FROM HISTORY"
Look, there was an example given by historian Erhan Afyoncu. To be honest, I was very impressed when I read it because it is an area I do not know much about. There, I can explain the issue only in terms of security, we can also explain it in terms of labor force, we can explain it in terms of the dynamism of social life, and we can explain it in terms of the continuity of the social structure.
Every nation has an identity. There are characteristics of its identity. Every nation transfers its memory, the characteristics of its identity, and its national traits to future generations through young generations. We pass it on to the next generation in that way. Now, if there is no population turnover, transformation, or regulation in this sense, we will not have the opportunity to transfer our characteristics as a nation, our national traits, and the topics of our identity. You will be erased from history. Look, I am making a very clear and unfortunately very heavy statement: You will be erased from history. There are dozens of nations that have been erased from history. We are talking about something that clear.
"WE SEE HOW MUCH IT AFFECTS YOUR SECURITY"
Now look, there is a comparison made by Erhan Afyoncu, let me share it with you: In the 1711 Prut War, the Ottoman Empire had about 30 million, and Russia had 16 million. 1711. In 1877-1878, known as the 93 War in our history. So, about 160 years later, Russia has 100 million, and the Ottoman Empire has 26 million. Within this demographic, Russia can mobilize 800 thousand soldiers, while the Ottoman Empire can only mobilize 300 thousand soldiers. We see how much it affects your security.
Therefore, this population issue is extremely important for us in terms of preserving identity, the continuity of our national traits and national existence, security, labor force, and social demographics.
"FOR 25 YEARS, THE FOUNDATION OF ALL OUR POLICIES HAS BEEN FAMILY AS THE FIRST CORE STRUCTURE IN HUMAN AND SOCIAL TERMS"
In recent years, very serious studies have been conducted regarding this. When I say recent years, I actually mean the last 15-20 years. Because when we look at the AK Party governments, the family is an extremely important institution that needs to be protected and supported.
From the very beginning of our approximately 24-25 years of rule, I say this very boldly and clearly; from the very beginning, all of our policies, all of our social policies are based on the support, strengthening, and protection of the family.
However, due to the demographic decline in recent years, our family policies have come to the forefront, becoming more visible. Otherwise, we are not a government that has just discovered the family - I say this in quotes. For 25 years, the foundation of all our policies has been family as the first core structure in human and social terms.
We have implemented every kind of policy to support the family, strengthen it, and eliminate some of the difficulties experienced within the family, and we continue to do so. But if there is a visible issue, a problematic situation somewhere, you tend to focus a little more on that, you concentrate a little more, and you spend more effort and time.
Therefore, the studies in recent years have focused on making the issue more visible in a social sense and drawing the attention of society to it.
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