Erdogan’s Family Policy Conservative, But Not Islamist

A universally known saying, also used in the Turkish language, suggests, “You reap what you sow.” Perhaps keeping that in mind, Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan hopes that each Turkish family will yield three children. According to a highly ranked Justice and Development Party (AKP) official, “three children” will even serve as a slogan in the upcoming local elections, during which the ruling party plans to emphasize the risk of an aging population.

The ruling AKP has proposed measures including prolonging maternity leave from 16 to 24 weeks, financial support per child, half-day working options for pregnant women, child care in companies and a guarantee of return to work. Like everything else in Turkey, these measures bear the risk of becoming front lines in the culture war. Yet it would be wise to try some objective analysis instead of pro- or anti-AKP propaganda.

For starters, just note that recent child care subsidies in Germany, which feminists named a "stove premium" or "mother-hen subsidies," prompted great reproach. On the question of cash aid, a very important factor of the subsidy debate, the Christian Social Union insisted that it is a question of fairness in offering alternatives to child care.

In a similar fashion, Aşkın Asan of the Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Policy stated that legal work is in progress for state provision of child care services. (Which is encouraging, as quality, affordable child care in Turkey is an indispensable incentive for improving women’s willingness to work.) Furthermore, Asan claims, offering financial support suggests a plurality of choices, so those who want to have more children can take financial support, and others can both work and have children while still benefiting from state support. This suggests that conservative parties in different countries, regardless of religion, think along similar lines on this matter.