As Türkiye observes May 15, the International Day of Families designated by the UN, the government is redoubling efforts to defend and revitalise the family, both at home and abroad.

A month-long programme began on May 10 with a public event themed "Strong Mothers, Strong Families, Strong Türkiye," hosted by AK Party Women’s Branch Chairwoman Tugba Isik Ercan. The event was attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and First Lady Emine Erdogan.

President Erdogan, in a moving speech,  stressed the centrality of the family to the Turkish Republic. “The foundation of a strong Türkiye lies in strong families,” he said. “Mothers are the heart of our civilisation. Their compassion, resilience, and sacrifice shape not just homes but the future of our nation.”

The Year of the Family, officially declared by President Erdogan, has become the cornerstone of a wide-ranging national strategy and an emerging pillar of Turkish foreign policy.

“Türkiye’s international family diplomacy will continue to intensify—anchored in the conviction that a strong family is the foundation of a just, resilient, and thriving society,” Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Ozdemir Goktas tells TRT World. “In a world shaken by uncertainty, Türkiye stands firmly for the enduring power of the family,” Minister Goktas says.

“We see women not merely as individuals but as the fundamental architects of society,” Ercan said at the event held on May 10. “To disregard women is to surrender the family. A society without strong families is a society adrift.”

Efforts to support families

The government introduced a series of policies in 2025 aimed at offering support and benefits for family life: birth and marriage incentives, expanded home care services, zero-interest loans for newlyweds, and increased social assistance for women.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services has rolled out a broad portfolio of initiatives, including:

•      Marriage Support: A zero-interest marriage loan of 150,000 TL (approx. $4,600), repayable over 48 months with a two-year grace period.

•      Birth Incentives: Monthly support for second and subsequent children until the age of five, alongside one-off birth payments.

•      Expanded Care Services: Improved home care for the elderly and disabled, now reaching over 123,000 households and 544,000 citizens with disabilities.

•      Education Programmes: Premarital and parenting courses to prepare young people emotionally and socially for marriage and shared parenting.

•      Protection Mechanisms: Vigorous enforcement of Law 6284, which ensures comprehensive support for victims of domestic violence.

•      Moral Safeguards: Public campaigns aimed at countering ideologies seen as threatening the traditional family structure, including gender-neutral narratives and digital risks.

These initiatives are designed not only to assist families and counter declining birth rates but also to make family life more sustainable amid economic and social pressures and challenges.

Dr Zeynep Kevser Serefoglu Danis, director of the Women and Family Studies Research Center (KAM) and associate professor at Fatih Sultan Mehmet Foundation University in Istanbul, cautions against simplistic narratives for multifaceted problems.

Speaking to TRT World, she said that framing declining birth rates purely as a matter of female fertility risks oversimplifying a multifaceted problem. "The decision to marry and start a family is shaped by education, housing, employment, and broader social security. Economic support is crucial, but emotional and cultural readiness must also be fostered."

Dr Serefoglu highlighted the significance of shifting public narratives around parenting roles. "A healthy family model requires active participation from both parents. We must encourage not only strong mothers but strong fathers too," she says.

Taking family diplomacy to UNGA

Türkiye has intensified its international advocacy for family-focused policies through a series of diplomatic milestones.

At the 78th UN General Assembly in 2023, President Erdogan stood out as the only world leader to declare that “protecting the family is tantamount to safeguarding the future of all humanity.”

Inspired by this principle, Türkiye has launched a global strategy it terms “family diplomacy”. By exporting its social policy models and advocating for family values as universal, Türkiye aims to lead a renewed international conversation. This May, the government will host the International Family Forum—a high-level ministerial summit focused on family policy, cultural representation in media, and global threats to familial cohesion.

In May 2024, it hosted the inaugural Social Policy Ministers Meeting in Istanbul under the Organization of Turkic States. By September, it had joined the UN Group of Friends of the Family, reinforcing its global stance.

Through sustained engagement, Türkiye influenced the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to formally prioritise family protection and demographic sustainability. At the 79th UN General Assembly, it launched a global campaign promoting its “Foster Family Model,” endorsed by UNICEF, along with the “Voluntary Hearts” initiative led by First Lady Emine Erdogan.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services announced a forum, scheduled for 22–23 May, has been organised to bring together global leaders, ministers and experts to examine how media, technology and culture shape family life worldwide. It will also present Türkiye’s family-centred policy models as potential blueprints for countries grappling with similar challenges.