Bilal Erdoğan: The number of children in a family determines the population

Stating that they hosted the Minister of Family and Social Services as non-governmental organizations about a month ago, Erdoğan mentioned that the Minister explained to them why the Year of the Family is important and critical for Turkey.

Bilal Erdoğan explained that Turkey's fertility rate was 2.38 in 2001 and fell to 1.48 by the end of 2024, stating, "The decline is approximately 40 percent. Most of this decline has occurred in the last 10-12 years. During my time working at the World Bank, I used to look at these statistics a lot. I don't think there is another country where the fertility rate has fallen this rapidly. We have experienced something incredible; we really need to understand and study why we experienced this," he said.

Emphasizing that Turkey's population will be either 50 million or 100 million in the year 2100, Erdoğan said, "If we can turn this around, if we can return to the point we were at 20 years ago, Turkey's population will be 100 million in 2100. In other words, we would be a country that renews itself, moves at a reasonable growth level, and can keep its young population vibrant. Otherwise, if this 1.48 continues like this, if it becomes 1.46, if it becomes 1.44, Turkey will be a country of 50 million in 75 years," he said.

Emphasizing that Turkey's population will both decrease and age, Bilal Erdoğan continued as follows:

"The majority of Turkey's population will consist of the elderly. Let's talk about the year 2100; perhaps half of our 50 million population will be over the age of 65. This means that the elderly will make the decisions. Our President first lowered the age of eligibility for election from 30 to 25, and then to 18. He aimed for young people to participate in politics and decision-making processes. He has encouraged young people for years to participate in politics, which he started when he was very young. He encouraged young people to enter Parliament, to become mayors, and municipal council members. The youngest cabinets and the youngest party central executive boards were always established by our President. But if we continue like this, it will no longer be the young, but the elderly who will make the decisions."

"THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN A FAMILY DETERMINES THE POPULATION"

Recalling that there was a recent case known as "those stuck in the age of retirement" (EYT), Erdoğan noted that he had previously stated that young people were not aware of this situation, which was to their own disadvantage.

Bilal Erdoğan said, "If we want Turkey to continue to be a strong country in the future, then we need to grasp and study the dynamics of how our population is continuing very well. The family is the center of this. In other words, ultimately, the number of children in a family determines the population," he said.

Underlining that young people will be educators, opinion leaders, and decision-makers in the future, Erdoğan continued:

"While designing education for the future of this country—and I believe the Century of Turkey Education Model embodies this effort—it adopts as a goal a stronger ownership of our own identity, culture, and heritage. You must definitely include the importance of the family and demographics, and the importance of the existence of a nation that will stand against oppression and ensure peace in the world of the future, in your future educational designs in a strong way."

Emphasizing that young people should think not only for their own future but also for the future of their children, Bilal Erdoğan concluded his speech as follows:

"Will this country be a strong country, will decisions in this country be determined by the young or by the elderly? You need to evaluate this very well. In other words, while talking about 'Should we have 1 child, 2 children, or 3 children?', our President has been saying '3 children, 3 children, 3 children' for 20 years. Most people mocked it and laughed it off. But those who did not take it seriously are now questioning what state we have come to. We are currently holding the Ethnosport Culture Festival. We are always trying to give the same message there; tradition lives, is transferred, and continues in the family. For a nation, for a country to build its future with its identity, the institution of the family must be strong. If the mother and father do not live the traditions, customs, and culture in the family, they cannot pass them on to their children. In this case, what culture would the children be born into? Whatever culture is imposed from the outside, brought by cultural imperialism with such pressure and aggression. Hopefully, within the framework of this Year of the Family, there will be an opportunity to talk about how we will build our future with our own identity."

News Source: AA