Botswanans may need 4 or 5 children: Minister

ANKARA - Anatolia News Agency

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız (L) meets with Botswana’s Foreign Minister Shelemani. AA photo

Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said Botswana families may need four or five children each to reach a sufficient level of population after a meeting with the foreign minister of the country in Ankara yesterday.

This was an open reference to Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who called for Turkish families to grow at least three children during his 2011 electoral campaign.

“Raising two children pulls the [Turkish] population down, while raising three increases it. Botswana may need four or five to reach a denser population,” Yıldız said.

The visiting minister Phandu Tombola Chaka Skelamani admitted that his country was facing a risk of drop in population.

Meanwhile, a to-be-formed Turkish energy team would go to Botswana to search for opportunities in diamond and silver processing in the African country, Yıldız said.

This team will consist of representatives from both public and private sectors “I believe that we can develop excellent relations with Botswana in the energy sector,” Yıldız said.