Turkish President Erdoğan welcomes 8th grandson
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sits next to his wife Emine Erdoğan, his daughter Esra Albayrak, his son-in-law Berat Albayrak and his grandson Ahmet Akif during an event in Istanbul, Turkey, June 22, 2019. (AA Photo)


Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is a grandfather again. Erdoğan’s elder daughter Esra Albayrak, married to Minister of Treasury and Finance Berat Albayrak, gave birth to a baby boy late Monday. The boy, named Hamza Salih, is the couple’s fourth child and the president’s eighth grandson.

The president traveled to Istanbul from the capital Ankara upon the birth to visit his daughter and see the newborn.

Berat Albayrak shared his joy on Twitter. "Thank God, we welcomed our fourth child, Hamza Salih tonight. I am grateful to my dear wife Esra for giving us this bliss. I expect your prayers," Albayrak tweeted.

Erdoğan himself is a father of four and is known for his famous advice to newlyweds to "have at least three children" in a bid to encourage population growth in the country with a steadily aging population.