Sarya Deniz

News Center- AKP and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan demands the people in the country to have at least “three children” in his statement at every opportunity. For the AKP, which shapes its social policies on the protection of the family, having at least “Three children” is a must.

Actually years ago, he said, “One or two children means bankruptcy. Three children mean we are not improving but not receding either.” In this statement, he pointed to four children. This demand was actually reflected in his 2022 Presidency Annual Program. The plan for the intensification of “encouraging training” particularly for the increase and continuity of marriages is included in the program. The program, which was announced several days ago, also gives information about the number of children, who benefit from shelters. According to the given information, 35,331 women and 20,551 children stayed in shelters in 2020. The number of women and children benefiting from shelter reached 87,595 in 2021. And in the first nine months of 2022, this number increased to 53,374. While the total number of women and children staying in the shelters was 55,882 in 2020, this number reached 87,595 in 2021, increasing by 56.74 percent. While these rates were announced as a source of pride, no step has been taken to protect women victims of violence and their children. Especially since Turkey’s withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention, women and children have been left unprotected in the country.

Who listens to Erdoğan?

As a part of the AKP government's demand for three children, the issue of abortion and C-section is always kept in the refrigerator as “problems” that need to be heated and taken out when they need them.  Although the increase in the number of children is persistently demanded, women do not listen to this demand. At least the figures show this. How effective is Erdoğan’s demand? Who listens to his demand? Who is against his demand? What is the situation of children in the country? For instance, do they have access to healthy food? We take a glance at the issue of children in Turkey in this article.

The marriage rate falls, the divorce rate increases

Although "encouraging programs for marriage” are announced, the marriage rate is decreasing in Turkey while the divorce rate is rising rapidly. In 2021, the number of marriages was 562,000 while the number of divorces was 174,000. Between 2001 and 2021, the marriage rate fell 20% while the divorce rate increased by 47%. Financial problems ranked first in the reasons for divorces. In addition, most women asked for a divorce because they were subjected to domestic violence. Young people do not want to get married due to poverty, the increasing rate of unemployment.

C-section birth rate increases

Prevention of C-section births in Turkey is also introduced as a part of the policies for protecting population. Because C-section births prevent women from giving birth many times. According to research on this issue, the C-section birth rate increased by 53% across the country. Although health workers always announce that normal delivery is healthier for both women and children, the government tries to put pressure on women to have a normal delivery. In Turkey in 2018, the crude birth rate was 15.3 per thousand and the infant mortality rate was 9.3 per thousand; Turkey ranked second among the 27 EU members and seven candidate countries in infant mortality rate. In 2018, 44% of infant deaths occurred in Turkey. Most infant deaths were preventable; however, most of the health services in the country have been privatized and most people cannot access health services due to poverty.

 ‘The condition of the children is worrying”

 Whenever AKP and Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdoğan mentions “women” he immediately mentions “children”. According to the report prepared by Pierre-Alain Fridez and adopted by the Council of Europe’s Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development, "The situation of child poverty is worrying,” in Turkey. According to the report released in March 2022, many children have been living in extreme poverty worldwide. On average across OECD countries, 12.8% of children live in relative income poverty; more than 20% of children live in relative poverty in Turkey.

Children live in poverty

According to the report entitled, “Child Poverty in Turkey” released by the Deep Poverty Network (Derin Yoksulluk Ağı- DYA) in 2021, shows the situation of children in Turkey.  According to the report prepared by interviewing 103 households in Istanbul, who do not have regular income, in the 13% of these households, children work and 6% of children work to support their families. Most children work as waste collectors, peddlers and textile workers. These children live without any medical support. While 85% of these families cannot access healthy food, 74% of them cannot buy baby formula and nappy.  

According to the ‘Statistics on Child for 2021’ released by the Turkish Statistical Institute, while the labor force participation rate of the children aged 15-17 was 16.2 in 2020, this rate increased to 16.4 percent in 2021.

Children cannot access to health food

According to the Hunger Map of the UN, 1.7 percent of children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition in Turkey, while six percent of them suffer from chronic malnutrition. Some 14.8 million people in Turkey suffer from undernourishment, according to the Hunger Map. These figures show us that children in Turkey go to bed hungry and wake up hungry. According to the Journal of Turkish Family Physician (Türk Aile Hekimleri Dergisi), one in four children is underweight. Another risk faced by children is heart diseases; 85 percent of girls and 68 percent of boys suffer from anemia, according to the journal.

After seeing the figures above, we can say that we do not need to have two, three or more children, we must have healthy children. The figures show us that children in Turkey live between life and death