Important call from President Erdoğan: We need to increase our generation.

11.01.2026 13:51

President Erdoğan commented on the current state of population growth, saying, "Right now, the developments are not good. Even when talking to our closest ones, you see that they are also against the increase in population. This, of course, saddens us seriously." Erdoğan, who made an important call, stated, "We need to increase our generation. This generation needs to grow. This is, of course, not just our desire, but the command of our Lord. It is the constant advice of His beloved Prophet to us."

The Islamic Arts Exhibitions, organized by the Albayrak Group for 12 years with the aim of preserving Islamic arts and passing them on to future generations, met with art lovers this year under the theme 'Hane'. The opening of the exhibition, prepared with inspiration from the declaration of 2025 as the 'Year of Family', was held at the Tophane-i Amire Culture and Art Center with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. President Erdoğan spoke at the opening program hosted by Yasemin Karaca. During the opening program, President Erdoğan, who toured the exhibition with his accompanying delegation and received information from the artists about their works, also answered questions from the participants. The program began with the recitation of the Quran.

President Erdoğan, after his prayer at the opening speech, said, "Esteemed calligraphers and illuminators, dear young brothers and sisters, valued guests, I greet you with my heartfelt feelings, respect, and affection. I am very pleased to meet you in this historic place, our Tophane-i Amire building. I wish the Hane Islamic Arts Exhibition, which we have opened together by saying Bismillah, to be auspicious and beneficial. I hope this valuable exhibition will be a means of good for all our brothers who are devoted to Islamic arts, especially calligraphy and illumination, and I thank the Albayrak Group."

"I CONGRATULATE OUR EXHIBITION CURATOR FROM THE HEART"

President Erdoğan stated, "I just saw and examined our works one by one. Each of them truly adorns this historic structure as the fruit of meticulous effort, distinguished style, and the light of the eye. I invite our citizens in Istanbul and everyone who has the opportunity to visit our Hane exhibition. I wholeheartedly congratulate our exhibition curator along with our calligraphy and illumination artists who delight our souls with their lines. Traditional Islamic arts, from miniature to marbling, from pen work to tiles, and from beautiful writing to illumination, are very important in terms of showing the depths and beauties of both our faith and our civilization. These are the manifestations of the high aesthetic consciousness that Muslims possess, materialized, turned into works, made visible, and embodied. Of course, Istanbul has become almost the capital of calligraphy and illumination, especially after the blessed conquest. From the 15th century onwards, great masters like Ali bin Yahya Sufi, Sheikh Hamdullah Efendi, and Hafız Osman Efendi produced the most exceptional works in the world here. These works adorned our mosques, prayer houses, and many architectural masterpieces both in Istanbul and in our heartland."

"THESE ARE ARTS THAT 'REQUIRE WORKING 30 HOURS A DAY'"

President Erdoğan said, "Our late master Hasan Çelebi, who dedicated 60 years of his life to the art of calligraphy and whom we bid farewell to last year, was one of these monumental figures. More than 75 mosques in Turkey and abroad, including our first place of worship, the Kuba Mosque, were adorned with the works of the late Hasan Çelebi. I once again say may his grave be illuminated, may his place be paradise, and I pray for all the great ones who have contributed to Islamic arts until today. I also find it beneficial to express this here. Arts like calligraphy and illumination require effort, patience, and continuity. As our master Hasan Çelebi put it, these are 'arts that require working 30 hours a day.' The preservation of these arts is very, very important, especially in these days when technology and digital culture threaten our traditional arts. Each of you carries a heavy burden in this regard, and you continue your journey of perfection alongside art. You are not only practicing these arts but also becoming acquainted with the history, culture, and civilization from which this art has emerged."

"OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE CAN ONLY BE ENRICHED BY THE ADDITIONS OF NEW GENERATIONS"

Finally, President Erdoğan stated, "It should not be forgotten that in our ancient history, especially the cultural heritage that has been distilled from there can only be enriched, rooted, lived, and gain continuity through the additions of new generations. Just like today, every shape carefully inscribed on the pages creates a new bridge between the past and the future. I want you to know that I find the works in our exhibition particularly valuable and meaningful in this regard. I congratulate each of my brothers who learn, practice, and teach our traditional arts, and I wish you success from Allah in your endeavors. With these thoughts, I once again congratulate the owners of the works exhibited here and express my gratitude to everyone who contributed to the organization of the exhibition, especially the Albayrak Group. May Allah be your helper."

PRESIDENT ERDOĞAN ANSWERED QUESTIONS

After his opening speech, President Erdoğan answered questions from the program's host Yasemin Karaca and the participants.

"WE NEED TO INCREASE OUR GENERATION"

President Erdoğan responded to Yasemin Karaca's question, "We know you as a spouse, a child, a grandfather, and a father within your family identities. Which of these do you enjoy being the most?" with the following answer: "First of all, of course, I am a grandfather, and I have 9 grandchildren, thank God. That is a separate beauty for the poor. You know I always say a phrase, 'At least 3 children,' I say. This is, of course, essential for a strong family. We need to increase our generation. This generation needs to grow. This is not just our desire; it is the command of our Lord. It is the constant advice of our beloved Prophet. 'I take pride in the multitude of my community compared to other societies,' says our Prophet. Therefore, this needs to be fulfilled. For this reason, when we talk about family, we declared the past year as the 'Year of Family.' And the reason for taking this step as the Year of Family is that, especially as a community of Muslims, we want to increase this generation in our country without any hesitation."

"EVEN THOSE WE CONSIDER FRIENDS OPPOSE THE INCREASE IN POPULATION"

In response to Karaca's statement, "You place great importance on large families," President Erdoğan replied, "Very much," and when Karaca said, "Many reports confirm that the young population is currently under threat worldwide. However, you recognized this risk very early, as you have been saying 'At least 3 children' for almost 25 years."

"DEVELOPMENT IS GOOD IN OUR FAMILY RIGHT NOW"

President Erdoğan responded to the question posed by the host Yasemin Karaca, "While we were curating the exhibition here, we tried to bring together the works of several generations. We aimed to create a 'big family' relationship between both 200-year-old historical artifacts, contemporary works of today, and the works of young artists. Does your family, as a large family, maintain this intergenerational relationship?" by saying, "So, as of now, thank God, development is good in our family. I am happy about that."

"THAT AFFECTION GIVES US A DIFFERENT VITALITY"

The next question to President Erdoğan was asked by Emine Efnan Nur Güler, a student at Marmara Anadolu Imam Hatip High School. To the question, "We all know that your communication with young people is very strong. Today, your grandchildren are also part of this young generation. Do you have conversations with them about cultural life, daily life, and art?" President Erdoğan replied, "This morning, I had a good conversation with the youngest one. The youngest is currently 2 years old. I had my meeting with him and then left. He is also a child of the BAYKAR group. And thank God, that affection gives us a different vitality. May God grant all my brothers here the same affection from their children and grandchildren. They really make us feel at peace."

"THESE WORKS MUST NEVER BE IGNORED"

President Erdoğan then answered the question posed by Savaş Çevik, who retired after teaching at Mimar Sinan University’s Graphic Design Department and then established the Graphic Design Department at Haliç University, who described himself as a calligrapher: "Since the beginning of your work, you have made significant contributions to the development of art institutions in our country. We have seen your countless efforts in the opening of various important mosques like the Atatürk Cultural Center and Istanbul Modern, the establishment of cultural centers, and the revival and restoration of our historical artifacts. How do you see the reflection of all these activities on the world art platform, and how has it affected Turkey's place on this world art platform?"

President Erdoğan said: "First of all, my teacher, the fact that Tophane-i Amire has opened its doors is really very important for us. If such works had not been opened, we would not have been able to hold such a meeting here today. But the fact that this work has been opened has also enabled us to hold such a meeting here. Many people have come and gone from here. And the history of this place is, of course, very important for us. Therefore, as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, we see these Cultural Road events as very important in this regard. And I currently see that the input and output of this work and all the events held here constitute important steps for the future of our country. And these works must never be ignored. We cannot account for that. I mean, if we have a Süleymaniye or a Sultanahmet today, and if they are still alive, if we do not give them the necessary importance, we will unfortunately see that these places are on the verge of disappearing in a short time. But right now, thank God, we see that all the restorations and renovations we have made to these works during our 23 years of rule are the result of keeping these places alive for both those coming from abroad and our own people. And as of now, especially Sultanahmet and Süleymaniye, the ownership of these places is, thank God, a legacy for future generations. Fatih is like that, Eyüpsultan is like that. A new work like Çamlıca is like that. And I think we need to make every kind of investment to carry these works into a very vibrant future."

"WE WILL EXHIBIT ALL THE WORKS IN KASIMPAŞA"

Şeyma Okur, a Tezhip Artist who has a work in the exhibition, asked President Erdoğan, "We know that many artists have presented their works to you. Besides that, we know that you have acquired works to support art. Do you have any thoughts on gathering and exhibiting these works under a collection, exhibition, or museum in the future?" President Erdoğan replied, "Inshallah, we have a museum that we have now established in the name of the poor in Kasımpaşa for all the works gifted to us. We will finish the restoration of the old North Sea Command, which was there, by the end of this year, meaning we will not find ourselves at the end of next year. We took over this North Sea Command, which was in ruins. And we have taken that ruined work, the North Sea Command, and turned it into a magnificent work. We have organized it and are about to finish it. We will exhibit all the works that the poor have gifted, whether they are calligraphy, books, or any other kind of work, there, inshallah. And by opening it to the public, we will ensure that everyone benefits from it."

"WE WERE INTERESTED IN POLITICS"

To the question posed by host Yasemin Karaca, "Sir, did you ever have an interest in art in your youth? Did you have an interest in traditional arts?" President Erdoğan replied, "If I say I was interested, it wouldn't be true, because we were interested in politics." To this, Karaca said, "That is also a traditional art for Turks."

"THEY WROTE THIS WORK AND MADE US HAPPY"

The last question came from participant Hafize Zeynep Altun. She asked, "Especially the interest in traditional arts, which is a mirror of our culture, has started to spread among us young people. What additional efforts are you making to increase this interest, or what kind of efforts can be made?" President Erdoğan responded: "I am particularly fond of calligraphy works. And we have had and are having studies related to this. The most important thing is that my master Mehmet Özçay is also here. I have always requested one thing from them, especially during my presidency, my desire and request for the writing of the Quran. Thank God, they wrote this work and made us happy."And hopefully, this will also be a work of our presidency, God willing. Along with this, we have also seen the completion of another different work, which, thank God, we have completed. These will be two important works that we have contributed to our country and the world as a product of our presidential term. "

"I ADVISE PARENTS TO LIVE A LIFE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SUNNAH OF THE BELOVED PROPHET"

At the closing of the program, the host Yasemin Karaca asked President Erdoğan, "What advice do you have for young people who want to start a family, couples who will become parents, and especially fathers?" President Erdoğan, who said, "You asked a very difficult question," responded to Karaca, who said, "Knowing your approach that values women, I thought you could give some advice to fathers," by saying: "First of all, of course, I advise our fathers and mothers to live a life within the framework of our Lord's command, in accordance with God's command and the Sunnah of the Beloved Prophet."