Erdogan warns of demographic ‘disaster’ as Turkiye’s fertility rate falls to 1.48

He said global capitalism, cultural imperialism and “digital encirclement” as pressures undermining values

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has issued an urgent warning over what he called a looming demographic “disaster,” after official data revealed Türkiye’s fertility rate has dropped to 1.48—well below replacement level.

Speaking at the Family and Culture-Arts Symposium in Ankara on Thursday, Erdogan said the latest figures “sound loud alarm bells for our future” and demand immediate national attention.

Addressing what he described as mounting threats to the family institution, Erdogan pointed to global capitalism, cultural imperialism and “digital encirclement” as pressures undermining traditional values.

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He reiterated his government’s hardline stance against “gender-neutrality impositions and LGBT movements,” vowing “no concessions or complacency” as Türkiye seeks to safeguard its social fabric.

Framing the demographic decline as both a cultural and economic challenge, the president urged collective vigilance, saying no one concerned with the nation’s destiny can remain indifferent to the issue.

The symposium in Ankara served as a platform for Erdogan to rally support for policies aimed at reinforcing the traditional family unit amid what he views as intensifying global and digital threats.