Ministry to appoint family counselors to curb low birth rate

ANKARA

A family adviser will be appointed to every household in response to Türkiye’s record-low birth rates, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş has announced.

"We envisaged that each family should have a counselor, akin to a family physician, and we have commenced efforts in this regard. I am revealing this for the first time here," Göktaş stated during an interview with the private television channel NTV on July 26.

Türkiye witnessed a significant drop in its overall fertility rate, reaching its lowest recorded level.

According to the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK), the fertility rate in Türkiye, which was 2.38 in 2001, plummeted to 1.51 in 2023, falling below the population replacement threshold of 2.1.

In 2023, Türkiye also saw its elderly population rate surpassing double digits for the first time in its history and catapulting the nation into the category of "highly aged populations" as per U.N. standards.

"Through this initiative, we aim to map out the social risk landscape of our country on a neighborhood-by-neighborhood basis. By identifying potential risks in advance, we will be able to take preemptive measures accordingly."

Göktaş elaborated on their commitment to long-term demographic policies, refuting claims that economic concerns are causing individuals to delay having children.

"Solutions derived solely from popular trends or foreign policies that disregard our own national dynamics could result in a waste of time and resources," she noted.

“Therefore, it is imperative that we proceed with caution and broad-mindedness, taking steps grounded in our own national dynamics.”

Göktaş also revealed that the ministry has recently established a new office dedicated to demographic policies, with their action plan being the first to center on the family as its core focus.

Four ministries earlier launched efforts to address demographic challenges, spurred by a historic decline in the country's fertility rate and a rapid surge in its elderly population. Measures are expected to include extending maternity leave to one year, improving salaries and providing childcare or rental assistance.