A fresh issue has emerged for Erdogan following the "Boycott Turkey" movement. Turkey's population is steadily declining, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is becoming increasingly concerned about the low birth rate among Turkish women. Nowadays, declining fertility rates are seen as a more serious hazard than conflict. In response, the Turkish government declared 2025 to be the "Year of the Family" and implemented a number of initiatives to encourage births.
Erdogan said this month that the "Decade of Family" would begin in 2026. However, given Turkey's ongoing economic crisis, his call for women to have at least three children and the financial incentives provided to newlyweds could not be sufficient.
Official figures show that Turkey's birth rate has decreased from 2.38 children per woman in 2001 to 1.48 in 2025, which is actually lower than that of France, the UK, or the US, according to the AFP article. This decline has been referred to as "a disaster" by Erdogan, the 71-year-old Islamist president and father of four himself.
Erdogan has witnessed a dramatic decline in the fertility rate during his 22-year tenure as prime minister and then President of the 85 million-person country. He has blamed the LGBTQ community and women for this.
The AFP story claims that President Erdogan has placed the blame on LGBTQ "perverts" as well as women. AFP cited Berrin Sönmez, a feminist activist and retired academic, as stating, "With no acknowledgment of political mistakes, women and LGBTQ individuals are considered the only culprits for the declining population growth rate."
In addition, she said, "In this chaotic and uncertain atmosphere, people may be reluctant to have children. Furthermore, education has become the most costly industry, and child support is essentially nonexistent.
Erdogan said this month that the "Decade of Family" would begin in 2026. However, given Turkey's ongoing economic crisis, his call for women to have at least three children and the financial incentives provided to newlyweds could not be sufficient.
Official figures show that Turkey's birth rate has decreased from 2.38 children per woman in 2001 to 1.48 in 2025, which is actually lower than that of France, the UK, or the US, according to the AFP article. This decline has been referred to as "a disaster" by Erdogan, the 71-year-old Islamist president and father of four himself.
Erdogan has witnessed a dramatic decline in the fertility rate during his 22-year tenure as prime minister and then President of the 85 million-person country. He has blamed the LGBTQ community and women for this.
The AFP story claims that President Erdogan has placed the blame on LGBTQ "perverts" as well as women. AFP cited Berrin Sönmez, a feminist activist and retired academic, as stating, "With no acknowledgment of political mistakes, women and LGBTQ individuals are considered the only culprits for the declining population growth rate."
In addition, she said, "In this chaotic and uncertain atmosphere, people may be reluctant to have children. Furthermore, education has become the most costly industry, and child support is essentially nonexistent.
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