Minister Göktaş announces: When will the birth grant be deposited into accounts?

Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş stated that applications for the birth grant program, implemented within the framework of the Year of the Family, began on April 8 via e-Devlet, and that they have received approximately 170,000 applications.

Responding to questions from Hakan Çelik on the "Hafta Sonu" (Weekend) program broadcast on CNN Türk, Göktaş also announced when the payments would be made.

Göktaş answered questions from journalist Hakan Çelik on the "Hafta Sonu" program aired on CNN Türk.

Drawing attention to fertility rates in Turkey, Göktaş stated, "The population replacement rate is 2.1. This is the critical threshold. In other words, the population cannot renew itself. Europe is going through similar processes. This is happening in many countries around the world. This shows that we are aging."

Stating that the elderly population rate has risen to 10.6%, Göktaş said that the elderly population is increasing along with the decline in the number of children. She assessed, "Twenty years from now, we may not be able to find children to send to military service. It is that important of an issue."

Expressing that as a Ministry, they are focusing on projects that center on the family, Göktaş stated that they have taken serious steps to strengthen the healthy family structure with the 2024-2028 Family Action Plan.

Pointing to the importance of establishing the Population Policy Board and the Family Institute under the chairmanship of Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz, Göktaş noted that these efforts are an investment in the future.

"91 THOUSAND 179 COUPLES APPLIED TO THE FAMILY AND YOUTH FUND"

Reminding that 2025 has been declared the "Year of the Family," Göktaş provided information about the Family and Youth Fund, which was launched within this scope and implemented in 81 provinces.

Explaining that the fund started as a pilot in the earthquake zone last year, Göktaş noted that the rate of young people marrying between the ages of 18-29 has increased from 62% to 64%.

Stating that the average age of marriage has risen to 25.8 for women and 27.9 for men, and that there is an increase in the number of people who do not marry, Göktaş said, "91 thousand 179 couples have applied to the Family and Youth Fund. The interest from our young people is quite intense. We will continue to support them on their path to marriage with our pre-marital education programs."

Touching upon the "birth support system," another support program announced by AKP Chairman and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the "Year of the Family," Göktaş reminded of the supports that will be applied for babies born from January 1 onwards: A one-time payment of 5,000 TL will be made for the first child, 1,500 TL per month for the second child, and 5,000 TL per month for the third child.

PAYMENTS IN MAY

Reminding that applications have started, Göktaş said, "We have started receiving applications; as of 9 AM this morning, we have received 169,921 applications. We will deposit the first payment into mothers' accounts in May. Here, the application rate for the first child is 43 percent. 73,317 families have applied for their first child. The second child rate is around 30 percent, and our number of applications was 51,128."

MOST APPLICATIONS FROM ISTANBUL, ANKARA, AND ŞANLIURFA

Stating that the application rate for the third child is 18%, Göktaş said that 29,879 families will benefit from this opportunity, and also mentioned that there is a 9% application rate in the "3 plus children" category. She stated that 15,597 families will benefit from the support within this scope. The provinces with the highest number of applications were Istanbul, Ankara, and Şanlıurfa, respectively.

CALL TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR FOR MARRIAGE SUPPORT

Göktaş said they want to alleviate the financial difficulties young people face during the marriage process and reminded of the discounts offered to new couples by Turkish Airlines (THY) and the Turkish State Railways (TCDD).

Drawing attention to the high prices of housing and white goods in particular, Göktaş made the following statement: "White goods and household items are particularly costly. I thank our companies. We will sign protocols with some of our companies in the coming days. They will provide discounts of up to 40 percent. I would also like to address the private sector; we would be happy to cooperate with our companies that want to support the Year of the Family, to support young people on their path to marriage, and to include them in the scope of this protocol."

She also added that young people who do not meet the application requirements for the Family and Youth Fund can also benefit from these discount campaigns.

News Source: AA