The President of Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that the fall of birth rate in the country represents a “greater threat to the war”, declaring 2026. beginning of the so-called decades of the family.
It has already been 2025. marked as a “year of the family,” and the Turkish government introduced a number of measures to encourage young people to marry marriages and establish families.
However, despite financial assistance for newlyweds and Erdogan’s calls to women to give birth to at least three children, experts warn that these efforts may not be sufficient to reverse a negative trend.
According to official data, the fertility rate in Turkey fell from 2.38 children per wife in 2001. at only 1.48 in 2025. years – less than in France, the UK or USA. Erdogan called that decrease by a catastrophe, especially blaming women and the LGBTQ + community for, as he cited, “decreasing family values.”
Berrin Sonmez feminist activist condemned such an approach, stating that political and socio-economic factors are ignored. “Responsibility for the decline in births is exclusively attributed to the women and members of the LGBTQ + community, while simultaneous support for families almost non-existent, and education has become luxurious,” Sonmez pointed out.
Turkey has increased high inflation and unemployment for years, and education costs increased by more than 70 percent in the last year.
The government has also focused a worrying high rate of imperial cuts – 61 percent of the country’s total births, and in private clinics as much as 78 percent. Since April, the imperial incision without medical justification is prohibited in private institutions, with the explanation that such a practice negatively affects the birth rate.
Gynecologist Hakan Coker points out that the imperial cut is more likely to decide due to the practicality for medical staff – it lasts about 30 minutes, while natural birth can last up to 12 hours. It is also stated that many women but in the first visit to the gynecologist require this procedure for fear of pain.
According to Dr. Harika Bodurogl, this fear arises from the lack of education and taboons related to sexuality. The Ministry of Health announced plans to reduce the rate of imperial cuts to 20 percent.
(Vijesti.ba)
