First lady Emine Erdoğan has conveyed a powerful message on the vital role of family in sustaining societies amid changing global dynamics during the Growing Europe 2025 International Summit. The event, hosted by Diana Nausediene, the spouse of Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda, brought together influential voices aiming to build a new vision for reinforcing family structures worldwide.
In a video message sent to the summit, Emine Erdoğan expressed her conviction that the event will serve as an inspiration to construct innovative strategies for strengthening the family institution. She extended her gratitude to the host, Diana Nausediene, for leading this important international gathering.
Erdoğan began by reflecting on how extended families, shared holiday celebrations and multigenerational meals, once the hallmark of social cohesion, have already entered the realm of nostalgic memories across the globe. She warned that this transformation signals more than just a shift in modern lifestyles; it is the onset of a post-family reality whose footsteps are becoming increasingly audible.
Drawing attention to the family’s diminishing role as the fundamental unit organizing society, Erdoğan highlighted worrying trends, including declining marriage and fertility rates. She pointed out that this has accelerated the rise of post-family cultures, marked by a growing prevalence of single and childless individuals, contributing to the aging of populations worldwide.
Referencing demographic forecasts, Erdoğan underscored that by 2030, one in six people globally will be aged 60 or older, and the population over 80 is expected to triple by 2050. She noted that the global fertility rate has fallen to an average of 2.2 children per woman, with more than half of the countries already below the critical replacement threshold of 2.1.
Emine Erdoğan stressed the importance of each birth, stating, “Every birth adds a new day to the spring of the world.” She elaborated that declining birth rates and shrinking youth populations directly impede economic growth and impose significant financial burdens on social security and health care systems. In conclusion, she warned that, “A world unable to renew itself inevitably faces a profound crisis.”
As a nation deeply committed to the family institution as the core of civilization, Türkiye has declared 2025 as the "Year of Family" and designated 2026-2035 as the "Decade of Family and Population."
Erdoğan drew a parallel, saying, “Just as a tree with rotten roots cannot stand, a society whose family foundations weaken cannot look confidently to the future.”
She detailed the range of policies Türkiye implements to reconcile work and family life, including housing and marriage loans, parental leave for working mothers and fathers, day care support, flexible working hours, breastfeeding leave for mothers and public awareness campaigns. These measures aim to provide robust support to young people and families, reinforcing the societal fabric.
The first lady further emphasized Türkiye’s active role in family diplomacy as a member of the United Nations Family Friends Group. Through this platform, she and her team elevate the significance of family on the international agenda, advocating not only for social policies but also for a renewed focus on spiritual and cultural values.
She highlighted the pervasive influence of cultural industries, which, in her view, contribute significantly to delaying marriage and first-time motherhood and to the rise in single-person and single-parent households. These industries, she argued, place the individual at the center of life, equate success with career achievements often measured by the scale of office buildings and portray traditional family models as obstacles to professional advancement. This narrative, she warned, offers a lonely, digitalized and pleasure-seeking lifestyle that marginalizes the family unit.
Erdoğan expressed her belief that the Growing Europe 2025 International Summit will become a pivotal forum for addressing these complex challenges and inspiring a new vision for the family institution’s revitalization.
In a related post on her NSosyal social media account, the first lady reaffirmed, “I believe that initiatives centering family will bring new breath to an aging and increasingly isolated world.” She shared her appreciation for the esteemed participants united by this conviction and extended heartfelt thanks to Diana Nausediene for her leadership in organizing such a meaningful summit.
