ISTANBUL

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday addressed the Family and Culture-Arts Symposium in the Turkish capital Ankara, highlighting what he described as mounting challenges facing the family institution.

Focusing on challenges to the family institution, Erdogan said: "We are taking measures against gender-neutrality impositions and LGBT movements, allowing no concessions or complacency."

He stressed that Türkiye is protecting the family in a period where global capitalism is opening new fronts, and cultural imperialism and digital encirclement are intensifying worldwide.

The president also warned of a demographic crisis, saying “we are currently facing a disaster” as official data showed the country’s total fertility rate dropped to 1.48 last year.

Erdogan said the declining fertility rate is “sounding loud alarm bells for our future,” and that “no one who cares about this country’s destiny can be indifferent.”