07.05.2026 17:15
President Erdoğan said in his speech at the 'Family and Population 10-Year (2026-2035) Vision Introduction Program', 'The time that has passed has proven the justification of our calls for three children. The age of marriage is rising, divorce rates are increasing, and as a result, our fertility rate is unfortunately declining. To be honest, the figures are alarming for all of us. For instance, our fertility rate has fallen below the population replacement level of 2.1 since 2017.'
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan attended the Family and Population 10-Year Vision Introduction Program at the Halic Congress Center.
Highlights from Erdogan's statements:
My dear nation, esteemed members of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, valuable representatives of civil society organizations, very distinguished guests; I greet you with my most heartfelt feelings, with respect and affection.
I am delighted to be with you at the introduction program of the Family and Population 10-Year Vision Document, covering the period 2025-2026-2035. I thank each of you individually for attending this program. At the very beginning of my words; despite the difficulties that started with the electronic age and peaked with the digital age, I respectfully salute every home of our dear nation that still keeps the consciousness of being a family alive, and I pray to Allah for health, peace, and happiness for all our households.
10-YEAR STRATEGY AND GOALS
I wholeheartedly congratulate our Ministry of Family and Social Services, which has demonstrated strong determination to strengthen our families, increase our population, and solidify the central role of the family in all areas of social and economic life over a 10-year period. Likewise, I sincerely thank our civil society organizations that contribute to the family institution fulfilling its essential mission in the face of increasing threats and dangers, and every one of my brothers and sisters who support this struggle in the media and social media.
EMPHASIS ON “THE FAMILY IS THE FOUNDATION OF SOCIETY”
It is a fact that a nation's strength cannot be measured solely by the power of its army, the size of its economy, or its advanced technology. Beyond these, a nation's strength lies in the hearths burning in its homes, the children growing in their cradles, and the values carried from generation to generation. Our Family and Population 10-Year Vision Document believes that the steps to be taken in this direction will add even greater strength to the family institution, and I wish it to be auspicious for our country, our nation, and all our families.
Today, we will also present awards to our brothers and sisters who have won prizes in various competitions organized within the scope of the 2025 Family Year. I also congratulate all our brothers and sisters deemed worthy of awards, especially in the photography and short film competitions themed 'Our Family is Our Future.'
DRAWN ATTENTION TO THE ROLE OF THE FAMILY IN SOCIETY
We are all children of a mother and a father. We all owe our existence to our families. Being a child and being a parent are both thanks to our families. The family is both the most sheltered roof and the first school of a person. One prepares for life first in the family. Compassion, tenderness, and empathy are first learned in the family. The first seed of love and brotherhood is planted in the family. The first address of love for the homeland and nation is the family. Character is formed in the family and matures under that roof. It is again the family that enables the human lineage to survive. When the family is strong, individuals become strong, and thus society becomes strong. When the family weakens or is weakened, the individual weakens, and society bleeds.
The peace of the family cannot be considered separate from the peace of the nation, the happiness of the family from the happiness of the nation, the security of the family from the security of the nation, and the unity of the family from the unity and solidarity of the nation. The principle in Article 41 of our Constitution, 'The family is the foundation of Turkish society,' is a highly concise expression that reveals both an obligation and the essential identity of our nation.
WARNING ON DIGITAL AGE AND FAMILY STRUCTURE
Yes, throughout history, the Turkish nation has maintained its existence thanks to the strength and continuity of family ties, has eliminated all threats it faced, and has succeeded in preserving its cultural codes. It is no coincidence that our homeland is the motherland - this expression is important. It is no coincidence that our state is the mother state. It is absolutely no coincidence that the hearth burning in the hearts of our people is the family hearth, the mother hearth, the father hearth. Behind each of these concepts lie thousands of years of life experience, cultural heritage, and ancient values emanating from our world of belief.
Just as strong and healthy individuals form the foundation of the strong and healthy family, which we describe as households where rights and duties are balanced among members and with high problem-solving capacity, so strong and healthy families are the guarantee of the happy and prosperous future of our dear nation, and the safest harbor to take shelter in against increasing attacks.
In the digital techno-culture era, like almost everything related to humans and life, the family is also transforming, changing form, and of course facing serious challenges. We are in a period where conventional structures are dissolving and people's search for direction and path is increasing. In such a period, as cadres bearing the responsibility of 86 million people, we strive to do the best for our country and nation, and to prepare Turkey for the future by anticipating possible risks, threats, and opportunities.
REMINDED THE CALL FOR “AT LEAST 3 CHILDREN”
In fact, we did not just start this. We have been fighting this since 2002, when we assumed the duty of governing the country. If you remember, in 2007, by saying at least 3 children, we drew attention to a rapidly approaching danger. This call of ours drew the reaction of those who look at every issue concerning the country with ideological glasses, and they criticized us with extremely vulgar expressions. We faced many irrational and immoral accusations, slanders, and impertinences, ranging from interference with lifestyle to insults targeting our belief values.
What happened in the end? In the time that passed, the justification of our calls for 3 children was proven. Those who criticized us back then are now forced to acknowledge our rights. Rest assured, tomorrow history will repeat itself. The absurdity of the claims of those who accuse us of trivializing the individual or weakening women because we attach importance and priority to the family will become apparent. The correctness of our efforts to protect and strengthen the family will be much better understood in the future.
“THEY ACCUSED LARGE FAMILIES OF BIGOTRY”
Look, I say this especially for the following reason: As Turkey, in the matter of family and population, we not only feel the effects of the rapid changes happening in the world, but we also face the negative consequences of wrong policies and perceptions implemented since the 1960s.
Especially those over fifty years old will remember very well; we were subjected to a propaganda barrage for years in our country. We were told that there was a contradictory relationship between population and development. In other words, it was stated that as population and fertility increased, poverty would increase and welfare would decrease. By making population control policies a taboo, they did not allow the slightest dissenting voice or idea. Furthermore, while devaluing the family, they accused large families of ignorance, provincialism, and bigotry.
“IN SOME COUNTRIES, ECONOMY WOULD COLLAPSE WITHOUT IMMIGRANTS”
While bodies were being held hostage in hospitals in the heart of Istanbul just because fees were not paid, the resources that should have been used to improve the healthcare system were squandered on externally prescribed population control policies.
Today, the understanding that sees children as a burden on the family and population as a burden on the country has completely collapsed. In fact, almost all countries shown as examples of welfare societies to the world complain about the decline in population growth. Similarly, they cannot prevent the loss of status of the family institution in the face of global gender-neutralization movements. In some countries, the problem has reached such a level that without immigrants, the economy would collapse, life would stop, and the most basic services could not be provided.
"OUR FERTILITY RATE HAS BEEN DECLINING SINCE 2017"
Dear guests, as a country integrated with the world economically, commercially, and demographically, we are unfortunately also affected by all these issues. Our family ties are weakening, the age of marriage is rising, divorce rates are increasing, and as a result, our fertility rate is declining. To be honest, the figures are alarming for all of us. For example, our fertility rate fell below the replacement level of 2.1 in 2017. We estimate that the rate, which dropped to 1.48 in 2024, has unfortunately decreased further in 2025. In our country, while 1 million 351 thousand babies were born annually in 2014, this number fell below 1 million in 2023. Yet, in our culture, a child is the joy of the home; moreover, a granddaughter is seen as a garden rose, and a grandson as a son's honey.
However, in the last 10 years, nearly half a million small spoons have been missing from our tables. This is also concerning: our median age rose to 34.9 in 2025. That is, one in every two citizens is now approximately 35 years old. Our elderly population rate increased to 11.1% as of 2025. Moreover, the elderly population living in rural areas has surpassed the child population. Another ratio I want to draw your attention to is the household size, which has dropped to 30.08. The proportion of single-person households has reached 20.5%. While the average age of first marriage has risen to 28.5 for men and 26 for women, the rate of women aged 20-24 who have never married is 79%, and for men it is 94%.
"TÜRKİYE IS STILL 10 YEARS YOUNGER THAN THE EUROPEAN UNION"
In other words, as a nation, we face a picture that requires us to worry about our future, and moreover, to take action for its solution. Of course, I want to state here that this alarming picture is not just Turkey's issue. Many countries from Europe to the Far East are facing aging populations, declining birth rates, and a dissolving family structure. Compared to them, Turkey, thank God, is in a very good position. For example, our median age approaching 35 is 45 in Europe. Turkey is still 10 years younger than the European Union. But despite this, we are trying to take the necessary measures now, to reduce the risks of tomorrow today, just as with our call for three children.
Dear guests, esteemed ladies; as a government, for a long time, we have been implementing comprehensive policies with the motto of strong individual, strong family, strong society. Despite the marginal mentality that cannot even tolerate the word 'family' in the name of our Ministry of Family and Social Services, we have taken very important steps. The year 2025 marked a turning point in our family-centered policies. We first implemented the Family and Youth Fund in our earthquake region, and then across all of Turkey.
MATERNITY LEAVE FOR WORKING MOTHERS BECAME 24 WEEKS
In 2026, we increased the loan amount and eased the conditions. We raised the support amount of 150 thousand liras given to our young people starting a family to 200-250 thousand liras. We provide our young couples with a 48-month loan with a 2-year grace period. As of January 1, 2025, we increased the amount of birth assistance, and in July 2025, we put the part-time work regulation into effect. We gave priority to families with 3 or more children in benefiting from social housing. Most recently, as you know, we reorganized the maternity leave periods. According to the law that came into effect yesterday, working mothers can now use their maternity leave as 24 weeks. ,
With the regulation, we increased the paternity leave for private sector employees to 10 days, as is the case for public employees. We also granted a 10-day leave right to those who will become foster families. I hope that our new law will be auspicious for all our families, especially our mothers.
I also find it useful to emphasize here: With the 2025 Year of the Family, we raised awareness across the country. We brought the family and population issue to the agenda of society and politics. Now, we want to take this to a higher level. For this purpose, we have designated the 2026-2035 period as the 'Family and Population Decade'.
THE LAST WEEK OF MAY WILL BE CELEBRATED AS NATIONAL FAMILY WEEK
The Family and Population Decade is a manifestation of a strong state will that sees the family as the foundation of society and the population as the guarantee of our nation's future. Our vision document is the roadmap for the Turkey vision that starts with the individual, roots itself with the family, grows with generations, strengthens with population, and marches toward the future. We built our document on five strategic priorities that complement each other. Our first strategic priority is the protection of the family institution and generations. Our second priority is the encouragement of the institution of marriage. While our third priority is increasing the fertility rate; the fourth is the qualified upbringing of youth and elderly welfare. Our fifth and final strategic priority is the local development of rural areas and the balanced distribution of the population.
To implement the priorities of the decade, we will also carry out work on the fronts of research, institutional capacity, legislation, communication, and diplomacy. From now on, celebrating the last week of May as 'National Family Week' will also ensure an increase in social awareness. Our public institutions and organizations will develop their strategic plans, budgets, and performance targets in a way that encompasses the family and population axis. We will continue to follow this at the highest level. With these thoughts, I wish our vision document to be auspicious once again, congratulate those who contributed, sincerely congratulate our brothers and sisters whose awards we will present shortly, and entrust you to Allah with the hope of meeting again. Stay healthy.