Türkiye to debate financial assitance to increase birthrate

Following the declining fertility rate, the Turkish government has declared this year as the “Year of the Family” and is planning to increase financial support for mothers. Under the proposed law, mothers could receive up to ₺395,000 ($10,788) for each child after the first, until age 5.

In January, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan gave instructions to increase birth assistance, which was presented to the Turkish Parliament. Under the proposed law, mothers of Turkish citizen children born on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will be eligible for a one-time payment or monthly birth assistance until their child reaches the age of 5, provided they are residing in Türkiye.

Details of birth assistance proposal

The assistance will be provided from the Social Assistance and Solidarity Promotion Fund. The necessary funds will be sourced from the general budget, and the assistance will not be subject to deductions or be garnishable.

Abdullah Guler, the group leader of the Justice and Development Party (AK Party), shared details of the birth assistance plan. According to the proposal, the payment amounts for each child will be as follows:

• For the first child: A one-time payment of ₺5,000
• For the second child: A monthly payment of ₺1,500
• For the third and subsequent children: A monthly payment of ₺5,000

The payments for the second and subsequent children will continue for 60 months (5 years).

For example, if a family has a second child within a year of their first, they will receive ₺1,500 each month for five years, totaling ₺90,000 by the time the child turns 5. If a third child is born a year later, the monthly payment will increase to ₺5,000, resulting in a total of ₺300,000 by the time the child is 5. In total, the government will have provided ₺395,000 in birth assistance by the time the third child is 5.

This amount could increase if adjusted for the annual revaluation rate or civil servant salary coefficient.

Eligibility and application process

Applications for birth assistance will be made through e-Government. However, as the proposal has not yet become law, applications are not yet being accepted. Once the final preparations are complete, the Ministry of Family and Social Services will provide further details.

Income conditions will not be required to apply for the birth assistance, nor will there be any consideration of whether the parents are employed. Therefore, all families who have a child on or after Jan. 1, 2025, will be eligible to apply.

This new proposal represents a significant increase in support for families and is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address the country’s fertility rate decline.