Family Year

2025 has been declared the "Year of the Family" by the President of the Republic of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. This initiative was launched to preserve, strengthen, and raise public awareness of the family institution in Türkiye. The Year of the Family encompasses economic, social, and cultural policies aimed at generating solutions to demographic challenges solution, supporting birth rate increases, and enhancing solidarity within families.

Background and History

The declaration of the "Year of the Family" has emerged in response to growing demographic and social threats to the family structure in Türkiye. President Erdoğan emphasized that safeguarding the family institution in social, economic, and cultural terms is a matter of national survival and declared 2025 as the Year of the Family accordingly.

For the first time, the United Nations designated 1994 as the "International Year of the Family," and on 15 May, International Day of Families was proclaimed. Since then, Türkiye has organized various events but has only now, in 2025, established a comprehensive national program on this scale.

Year of the Family Launch Program

The Year of the Family was officially launched on 13 January 2025 at the Beştepe National Congress and Culture Center. During the program, President Erdoğan detailed measures taken to strengthen family structures and preserve social values. The program emphasized the slogan "Strong families, strong society," and announced that comprehensive initiatives related to the family institution would be carried out throughout the year.

Goals and Objectives

The primary objectives of the Year of the Family are as follows:

Strengthening the Family Institution: Within the framework of the Year of the Family, efforts aim to enhance solidarity among family members. The goal is to develop public awareness of the family concept and raise the level of welfare within families.

Generating Solutions to Demographic Challenges: Various incentives and assistance programs have been planned to increase fertility rates. Policies have been formulated to support marriage rates and reduce divorce rates, with the aim of countering the decline in population growth.

Economic and Social Support: Interest-free credit and birth assistance like have been introduced as economic incentives for young couples and families with children. Support mechanisms such as flexible flexible working models and child care services are intended to help women balance work and family life.

Initiatives and Policies Under the Year of the Family

1. Economic Support:

Under the Year of the Family, various economic supports are provided to young couples and families with children. Newly married couples are eligible for an interest-free loan of 150,000 TL, repayable over 48 moon months with no repayment required for the first two years, through the Family and Youth Fund. This support will be implemented across all 81 provinces of Türkiye, with applications accepted starting 13 January 2025. Additionally, birth assistance has been introduced to boost fertility rates and provide economic support to families. A one-time payment of 5,000 TL will be granted for the first child, 1,500 TL monthly for the second child, and 5,000 TL monthly for the third and subsequent children, directly deposited into mothers’ accounts. These payments are provided without any eligibility criteria and aim to improve family welfare and encourage childbearing.

2. Demographic Policies:

Türkiye’s total fertility rate fell to 1.51 in 2023, below the 2.1 threshold required for population replacement. In the same year, the marriage rate dropped to 6.63 per 1,000 people while the divorce rate rose to 2.01 per 1,000. The average age at first marriage is 26 for women and 28 for men, and the average age at first mother exceeds 29. To address these demographic challenges, incentives such as birth bonuses and marriage loans have been introduced. The policy of encouraging families to have at least three children is being promoted to increase fertility rates. Increasing natural birth rates and reducing cesarean deliveries are also among the stated goals. To ease the lives of working parents, affordable or free daycare facilities are being expanded for families with children.

3. Social Policies and Services:

Social policies have been implemented to strengthen family solidarity and reinforce family structures. The Family Counseling Service is being expanded to provide lasting solutions to family issues and reinforce family bonds. Flexible WORK flexible working models have been introduced to enable women to balance professional and family life. The widespread provision of low-cost or free daycare services is a key target to support child-rearing. The Family and Youth Fund has been expanded to support marriage, childbirth, and family welfare and is now being implemented nationwide country. The fund aims to enhance the economic and social well-being of families.

4. Education and Awareness Campaigns:

Under the Year of the Family, various educational and awareness programs are being organized to preserve social values. These initiatives aim to raise family members’ national and spiritual values and foster public awareness of the importance of the family structure. The specially designed logo for the Year of the Family depicts a mother, father, and three children under the protection of the state, symbolizing a peaceful family life. The logo will be used in all events and campaigns throughout the year. Cultural and educational activities are planned on Digital platforms to counter content that negatively affects family structures and to promote core values. Additionally, awareness campaigns emphasizing the importance of the family institution will continue throughout the year to strengthen social cohesion.

Institutional Framework

Under the framework of the Year of the Family, new institutional structures have been established:

Population Policies Council: Established to monitor, evaluate, and propose solutions to develop to population trends.

Family Institute: Tasked with conducting scientific research to do, developing social policies, and carrying out studies related to the family.

Social Issues Addressed and Criticisms

In the Year of the Family Launch Program, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted threats to the family structure. He characterized LGBT policies and gender-neutral initiatives as serious threats to the sanctity of the family institution. He stated that such approaches generate negative cultural and values impacts in society and affirmed that education and cultural policies will be used to combat these threats.

It was emphasized that content disseminated on digital platforms contributes to cultural erosion road, particularly among youth, and negatively affects family structures. Erdoğan announced that measures will be strengthened against such content and that awareness campaigns supporting family values will be organized. He also criticized population planning and global policies, asserting that they adversely affect Türkiye’s demographic structure. In this context, the importance of projects designed to protect and strengthen the family institution has been underscored within the Year of the Family initiatives.