Business Daily Turkey's 'Year of the Family'
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Aug 31, 2025 Turkey is grappling with a historic drop in birth rates, prompting President Erdoğan to declare 2025 the 'Year of the Family.' He encourages families to have more children despite high inflation and economic challenges. Personal stories reveal the struggles of parents balancing work, financial responsibilities, and the cost of living. The podcast delves into the impact on working women and the pressures they face, alongside the societal implications of declining birth rates and growing economic hardship.
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Working Mum Struggles With Childcare Costs
- Halime, a financial advisor in Istanbul, struggles to afford nursery and relied on her mother-in-law to return to work after her second child.
- She says private nurseries can cost about one minimum wage and make having three children nearly impossible.
Payments Are Too Small To Change Decisions
- The government offers monthly payments: 1,500 lira for a second child and 5,000 lira for a third child until age five, but these are small against living costs.
- Policymakers should scale support beyond token payments to meaningfully offset childcare expenses.
Daycare Demand Cuts Across Income Levels
- Eda Unul, manager of municipal daycare centres, says demand now spans minimum-wage earners to white-collar workers and even police officers.
- She fears having a child would force her to quit work due to insufficient support and rising costs.