Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz chaired the inaugural meeting of the Population Policies Board at the Presidential Complex, highlighting the board's role in shaping Türkiye's future. Established by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Dec. 25, 2024, the board will focus on a wide range of issues, including maternity leave, day care support, birth assistance and flexible working.

Yılmaz emphasized that population policies are a strategic concern, not just a demographic goal. The board includes key ministers, officials, and experts, and it may invite additional representatives based on the agenda.

"We will create our action plans and roadmap," Yılmaz explained that policies aimed at strengthening the population structure, increasing fertility rates and healthily preserving the next generation would be implemented with inter-institutional coordination and that he would personally lead these efforts. He added that the board would meet at least every six months to monitor developments and update their policies and actions.

"Our board will develop short-, medium- and long-term strategies for a healthy population structure. In this regard, we will initially create our action plans and roadmap to ensure the sustainability of fertility rates and population renewal levels," said Yılmaz, adding that during the first meeting, demographic structure, changes in population policies, family and youth funds and birth assistance were among the key topics.

Emphasizing that the foundation of a strong society should rely on the family institution and a young and qualified population structure, Yılmaz reminded that after the declaration of the republic, policies aimed at increasing fertility were adopted. However, after the 1960 coup, policies to increase fertility were abandoned, and birth rates were reduced with the aim of controlling the population. He also recalled that after the 1980 coup, the "maximum two children policy" aimed to reduce fertility.

Yılmaz highlighted that current data signals a large-scale transformation affecting all sectors, especially the economy, education, health and social services. He pointed out that from 2009 onward, a significant decline in fertility and population growth rates had been observed in Türkiye, with the fertility rate falling from 2.38 children in 2001 to 1.51 in 2023, the lowest value in history.

He noted that fertility was below the critical threshold of 2.1, the population replacement level, and mentioned that only 10 provinces were above the 2.1 threshold, while 51 provinces were below 1.5, with Şanlıurfa being the only province with a fertility rate above 3.

Yılmaz stated that Türkiye's annual population growth rate had sharply declined to 1.1 per thousand, and in 2023, the crude birth rate was 11.2 per thousand. While the child and youth population decreased, the elderly population over the age of 65 surpassed 10% for the first time in 2023.

Yılmaz highlighted concerning demographic trends in Türkiye, noting rising divorce rates, later marriages, delayed childbirth, and an increase in single-parent families, as well as a growing elderly population. Data from the Turkish Statistical Institute showed the average age of first marriage is 28 for men and 26 for women.

Yılmaz also referenced projections that Türkiye's population will peak at 93.8 million in the 2050s before declining to 76.8 million by 2100. President Erdoğan has called these changes an "existential threat," emphasizing the urgency of addressing the decline in fertility, which has occurred rapidly over the past 60 years. Yılmaz also raised concerns about the high cesarean birth rate in Türkiye, which is negatively impacting fertility.

Yılmaz noted that if effective measures are not taken to address the changes in family and social structures, the decline in fertility rates will continue. He added:

"The decline in fertility rates goes beyond being a demographic problem. It can potentially cause serious issues in the short, medium and long term in many areas, such as employment, social security, care, the economy and defense. Just as the decline in fertility rates did not happen overnight, increasing fertility rates and surpassing the population renewal rate is unfortunately not something that can happen from one day to the next."

"Working groups and committees will be established." Yılmaz reminded that in 2007, President Erdoğan drew attention to the decline in fertility, calling for at least "three children" and that changes were made in the Development Plans accordingly. In 2014, the 10th Development Plan included a transformation program titled "Preserving the Family and Dynamic Population Structure" for the first time, and from that point on, increasing fertility became a government policy.

Since the 12th Development Plan, Yılmaz stated that increasing fertility to exceed the population renewal level had become a fundamental goal and that changes in population structure are multidimensional, affecting many public laws and the private sector, and should be evaluated at the national level. He added that the Family Institute and the Population Policies Board were established within the Ministry of Family and Social Services on the same day to work on producing data and developing policies to preserve and strengthen the family structure.

Yılmaz emphasized that President Erdoğan had declared this year as "Family Year," and they would continue their efforts decisively to build a strong family and population structure.

Yılmaz stated that the Population Policies Board was created to coordinate and develop population policies, monitor demographic trends, and address fertility decline, family changes, and marriage issues. The board will analyze these changes and prepare a national action plan, reviewing legal regulations and proposing new initiatives.

He emphasized the importance of developing new working models to address global threats to family structures and social changes, such as decreasing marriage rates and rising divorce rates. Policies will focus on encouraging early marriages, fertility, and family building, supporting natural childbirth, reducing cesarean rates, and providing financial support for young couples.

Yılmaz also highlighted the need for balanced work and family life for women, support for child care services and the promotion of Türkiye’s values to counter global trends undermining family structures.

Yılmaz concluded by stating that a family flourishing with children is a sacred institution, and only by preserving and uplifting the family structure and future generations together will they achieve their goal of strengthening Türkiye's demographic potential.

The meeting was attended by Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, Labor and Social Security Minister Vedat Işıkhan, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Presidential Administrative Affairs Director Hakkı Susmaz, Presidential Strategy and Budget Director İbrahim Şenel, Director of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş, Higher Education Board President Erol Özvar, Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜIK) President Erhan Çetinkaya, Social Security Institution (SGK) President Raci Kaya, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) Deputy Chair Fatma Betül Sayan Kaya, AK Party Central Women's Branch President Ayşe Keşir, some deputy ministers and representatives from related institutions and organizations.