Opposition group proposals rejected in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey

In the General Assembly of the TBMM, group proposals regarding "teachers working in private educational institutions" by the Saadet Party, "immigrant population growth" by the IYI Party, "Local Administration Elections" by the DEM Party, and "Journalists" by the CHP were discussed separately.

Speaking on behalf of his party's group proposal, IYI Party Group Deputy Chairman Erhan Usta stated that the decline in the population growth rate or fertility in Turkey is not a political issue, but a national matter.

PROPOSAL REGARDING IMMIGRANT POPULATION GROWTH

Stating that the average population growth rate has fallen to 1 percent in the last 23 years, which is a lower rate than during the Second World War period, Usta said, "While this is the situation for Turkish citizens in Turkey, we see that both the fertility rate and the number of births are much higher among Syrian immigrants. Even if the issue of Syrian refugees did not exist, this is a serious problem for Turkey. Because for the population to be maintained, the average fertility rate needs to be 2.1, but this rate is 1.62 in Turkey. This population will trend downward."

Usta stated that he found President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's call for "newly married couples to have at least three children" to be very correct, but argued that the economic support provided to families in this regard is insufficient.

Saadet Party Group Deputy Chairman İsa Mesih Şahin emphasized that researching the causes and consequences of the decline in the population growth rate is very important for the future of Turkey.

Şahin said, "One of the most fundamental reasons here is the erosion of the concept of family. The increase in divorces experienced in recent years must be seriously addressed. Our young people do not want to get married, and our citizens who do get married are experiencing serious divorces."

DEM Party Diyarbakır MP Sevilay Çelenk stated that they would vote "no" on the IYI Party's motion because they did not find it sincere or realistic.

CHP Denizli MP Şeref Arpacı noted that the problem of irregular and unregistered migration is among the most important problems in the world, and that Turkey is the state that bears the heaviest burden in this regard globally. Arpacı said, "The AKP government is the very culprit of this. The consequences of wars we are not a party to have been loaded onto the shoulders of millions of our citizens."

"TURKEY, AS A COUNTRY WITH A YOUNG GENERATION, WILL INCREASE ITS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD"

AKP Tekirdağ MP Çiğdem Koncagül said that issues of family, population, and demographic transformation were specifically studied in the development plans prepared during the AKP governments.

Explaining that the social impact of the work on population policy has been positive, and that maternity leave, child benefits, free education and health expenses, the SGK (Social Security Institution) system, the strengthening of the family, and the dynamic institutional structure of the social protection shield are the successes of the AK Party governments, Koncagül stated the following:

"The 'three children' discourse, which also found resonance with the expression of our President, is an important indicator that our country's population policy is aimed at increasing the population growth rate. Considering that Western countries are building a future on a population with a negative growth curve, Turkey, as a country with a strong, dynamic, and young generation, will increase its sphere of influence in our region and in the world."

In the votes held after the discussions, the group proposals regarding the agenda by the CHP, DEM Party, IYI Party, and Saadet Party were rejected.

Later in the General Assembly, the discussions moved on to the Bill on Amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code and Certain Laws and the Decree Law No. 659, known in the public eye as the "8th Judicial Package."

News Source: AA