Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has slammed those people who promote birth control and contraception methods in the country.
Addressing a wedding ceremony on Sunday, Erdogan said using contraceptive methods and birth control regime was a betrayal on the ambitions of Turkey to become a flourishing nation relying on its young population.
He said those who engage in birth control programs could cause a whole generation to dry up.
Calling for a more dynamic and younger population, the Turkish president said two children could not be enough, adding that the third and fourth children could mean balance and abundance for the family. Erdogan himself has two sons and two daughters.
The comments by Erdogan were reported by the news agencies on Monday with the video of his speech going viral in the social media.
Erdogan’s opponents say that such remarks means that he has a strict interpretation of Islam as he wants to impose his fundamental values in the private lives of the Turks.
He has been also repeatedly accused of restricting the women and their civil freedom in the Turkish society.
Back in November, he rejected the notion of equality for men and women and called on all women to have at least three children.
Erdogan has also initiated moves to counter the abortion rights, the caesarian section and use of contraceptive pills.
Turkey’s population has increased over the past decades to more than 76 million people. However, many say if the families keep sticking to the birth control methods, the population may face a serious risk of aging in the future.
