As a labor union pressed for LGBT propaganda at schools, another union launched a campaign for a constitutional amendment for an exact definition of the family.
Türkiye’s largest civil servants’ union, Memur-Sen, introduced its petition on Monday in the capital, Ankara. The union’s chair, Ali Yalçın, told reporters at a news conference that the Constitution’s Article 41, which mandates the state to protect the welfare of family and for family planning, should be expanded. “It should include a definition of family as a union of a man and a woman, and families should be based on marriage. Thus, we can prevent corruption of the institution of family and save it from being trampled by deviant groups,” Yalçın said.
Same-sex marriages are not legal in Türkiye, although LGBT lifestyles are more tolerated, particularly in big cities. Yet, Ankara strictly opposes LGBT propaganda targeting children in particular. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has repeatedly reiterated his criticism of “global culture barons promoting LGBT deviation.” For Erdoğan, the pro-LGBT propaganda targets the concept of family. The issue is crucial for the government, which seeks to promote childbirths as the young population is shrinking.
Yalçın said their campaign entitled “Change The Constitution in The Year of Family to Protect The Family” aimed to enshrine the protection of the family in the Constitution as the basic foundation of the society and “a carrier of values.” The government declared 2025 as the Year Of The Family, with incentives especially for prospective couples and families with multiple children, including generous loans for newlyweds and increases in one-time payments as well as monthly payments per child to every family.
The union chairperson said societal values would not survive in a society where the institution of the family is weakened. “Today, the family concept is holding out against multilayered, systemic attacks of deviant global lobbies. They are imposing this (LGBT) deviation through their ideology of ‘social gender (equality).’ They are running an operation aiming at cultural and moral decay, through social media, the fashion sector, TV and cinema, streaming platforms,” Yalçın said. “Some groups funded by global lobbies are trying to impose genderlessness. They are also promoting same-sex marriages, trying to corrupt the institution of the family. We inherited a civilization based on family values and we cannot remain silent in the face of those attacks. The state has no choice but to take measures. As it has been for thousands of years, the family comprises a man, a woman and their child or children. We will never accept another definition,” Yalçın said.
The campaign came at a time when another labor union sought to teach what they called "social gender equality," something opposed by the Ministry of National Education. Minister Yusuf Tekin told reporters on Monday that the plan by members of Eğitim-Sen, representing teachers, to teach about the subject for one hour on Monday was unacceptable. “It is a clear abuse of basic rights and freedoms (granted to labor unions) for teaching ideological, malignant topics to children entrusted to teachers by their families who would not accept such an education,” Tekin said. He said they would launch disciplinary action if the union proceeded with its plan. Eğitim-Sen defended their plan, saying they were trying to promote gender equality.
