Turkey plans to increase maternity leave for working mothers to one year

After President Erdoğan said that the decline in the birth rate was "alarming", a package of measures to support mothers was being prepared. On the agenda - increase of maternity leave to one year, increase of salary, assistance in placement of children in kindergartens and assistance in rental of housing.

According to TURKSTAT, the birth rate in Turkey, which was 2.38 in 2001, fell to 1.51 in 2023, which is below the reproductive threshold of 2.1. At the last two Cabinet meetings, President Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized this issue, calling the decline in the birth rate in Turkey "an existential threat, a disaster". " In this regard, we will apply new methods," said Erdoğan.

As a result, the Ministry was instructed to submit a bill that would grant maternity leave of one year to mothers. Members of the ruling AP of the party stated that this process should not be limited to the extension of maternity leave, but should extend to the second and third children.