Erdoğan Declares 2026–2035 as “Decade of Family and Population” to Combat Social and Demographic Challenges
Istanbul, The Gulf Observer: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced that Türkiye will designate the years 2026 to 2035 as the “Decade of Family and Population” during his keynote address at the International Family Forum held in Istanbul.
In his speech on Friday, President Erdoğan strongly criticised modern lifestyles that, in his view, prioritise individual comfort over family and societal bonds. “A mindset that builds modernisation on the notions of being without family and isolation cannot bring peace to either individuals or society,” he said.
Erdoğan voiced concern that such a lifestyle is increasingly influencing Turkish society, particularly among the youth. He underscored the need to preserve the traditional family structure, warning that global economic and cultural forces do not support strong familial ties.
“A person detached from their family and weakened in their national identity cannot truly be free or authentic,” the president asserted. “Everywhere in the world, the erosion of the institution of family has turned people into mere consumers of popular culture.”
President Erdoğan also delivered pointed criticism of LGBT ideology, describing it as a significant threat to societal values. “Artists, businesspeople, politicians, and scientists are being socially lynched, turned into the walking dead, just for opposing the LGBT plague,” he stated. “The fight against LGBT perversion is also a fight for freedom, dignity, and the future of humanity.”
Expressing deep concern over Türkiye’s declining fertility rate, Erdoğan said, “Our fertility rate has, for the first time in our history, dropped to 1.48. This is a disaster. It’s far below the critical threshold of 2.1.”
The announcement builds on Türkiye’s earlier designation of 2025 as the “Year of the Family,” reinforcing the government’s long-term policy agenda to strengthen family structures and address demographic challenges.
Closing Ceremony Attended by First Lady
Türkiye’s First Lady Emine Erdoğan participated in the forum’s closing ceremony, where she visited various exhibition booths showcasing initiatives and research related to family development. She also toured an interactive display prepared by the Family and Social Services Ministry under the theme “All happy families are alike.”
The two-day International Family Forum, held under the banner “Safeguarding and Strengthening Family in the Face of Global Challenges,” convened policymakers, academics, and civil society leaders to address the evolving role of the family in modern societies. Key sessions included panel discussions on themes such as “Highly profitable: The cost of global challenges to individuals, families and society,” “Between fiction and reality: Family in culture, art and media,” “Being a family in the age of screens,” and “The Myth of overpopulation: How a global agenda contributed to the decline of populations.”
The forum served as a platform to advance Türkiye’s commitment to bolstering the institution of family amid rapidly changing cultural and demographic landscapes.
