Erhan Afyoncu warns: Turkey is drifting toward a nightmare
Historian and author Erhan Afyoncu stated that one of Turkey's biggest problems is population decline, emphasizing that low birth rates pose a serious threat to the country's future. Afyoncu said, "If this trend continues, only an elderly Turkish population will remain in Anatolia."
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Historian, author, and Rector of the National Defense University Erhan Afyoncu made striking assessments regarding Turkey's demographic structure during a program he attended on CNN Türk. Stating that the country has a rapidly aging population, Afyoncu expressed that the decline in birth rates will create a serious existential problem in the long term.
"I have been saying this for two years: Turkey is drifting toward a nightmare. If the population cannot replenish itself, only an elderly Turkish population will remain in Anatolia, and this poses a major risk," said Afyoncu, who also drew attention to the population changes that have occurred from the Ottoman era to the present day.
''THE IMPORTANCE OF POPULATION IN THE HISTORICAL PROCESS IS GREAT''
Afyoncu stated that when compared to Russia during the Ottoman period, Turkey's population gradually declined, noting that while the Ottoman Empire had a population of 30 million in 1711 compared to 16 million for the Russians, the Ottoman Empire fell behind by the 20th century due to Russia's rapidly increasing population.
Reminding that one of Atatürk's greatest goals during the founding period of the Republic was to ensure population growth, Afyoncu stated that the birth control policies implemented after the 1960s led to a decrease in the population in western provinces.
''FERTILITY RATE HAS FALLEN TO A CRITICAL LEVEL''
Emphasizing that according to TUIK data, Turkey's population has reached 85 million 664 thousand 944 people, but the fertility rate has fallen to 1.51, Afyoncu said, "In Istanbul, this rate is dropping to 1. For the population to be able to replenish itself, the fertility rate needs to be at least 2.0."
Describing this situation as "a greater threat than war," Afyoncu stated that the government needs to produce new policies to increase birth rates, pointing out that population decline carries a serious risk for the country's future.