President Erdogan launched Turkey’s “Year of the Family” with a focus on boosting birth rates and attacking the LGBTQ community. He emphasized the importance of strong families for a strong state and announced financial measures to support young families.
Erdogan criticized LGBTQ movements as part of a foreign conspiracy to undermine Turkey, warning against harmful trends and ideologies. He highlighted the decline in population growth rate and urged families to have at least three children to prevent irreparable losses. He also raised concerns about people marrying later and increasing divorce rates.
Pride parades have been banned since 2015 in Turkey, with anti-LGBTQ rallies receiving state support. Erdogan announced policies such as interest-free loans for newlyweds, improved monetary allowances for parents of newborns, and financial, counseling, and housing support for new families to combat the threat to the family structure.
The president’s remarks reflect a broader government crackdown on LGBTQ rights in recent years and a push to increase population growth. Erdogan’s focus on traditional family values and conservative social policies align with his political agenda and are likely to further marginalize the LGBTQ community in Turkey.
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