Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that weakening the institution of family leads to a weakened society, whereas a strong family builds strong people and, as a result, a strong society.
The Turkish leader, quoted by Anadolu Agency Anadolu, drew attention to the fact that the age of marriage and the number of divorces are increasing in the country, which leads to a decline in the birth rate.
“Since 2017, the birth rate has fallen below the replacement level of 2.1. The share of the elderly population in our country has reached 11.1%. Moreover, the number of elderly population living in rural areas has exceeded the number of child population,” he said.
At the same time, the Turkish leader emphasized that Turkey is still 10 years younger than the EU countries and the authorities are already taking measures to reduce risks in the future.
President Erdoğan also outlined key priorities in the field of demography.
“Our first strategic priority is to protect the institution of family and future generations. The second priority is to strengthen the institution of marriage. The third priority is to increase the birth rate, the fourth is quality education for the youth and the well-being of the elderly. The fifth and last strategic priority is rural development and balanced population distribution,” he pointed out.
In addition, the last week of May will be celebrated annually as ‘National Family Week’ to raise public awareness,” the Turkish leader added.
