Erdogan: Muslim families should not use contraception

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the President of Turkey, stated on Monday, June 10, that Muslim families should not use contraception and should adhere to family planning policies. He urged devout Muslims to have more children. According to Reuters, in a speech broadcast live from Istanbul, Erdogan said: 'We must reproduce our next generations. Some talk about population control policies and contraception. No Muslim family should adopt such an approach. No one can interfere in God's work. In this regard, the primary responsibility lies with mothers.' Erdogan's remarks regarding the role of women have sparked reactions from women's rights advocates. This is not the first time Erdogan has criticized population control policies. Last year, he described population control in his country as 'treason' and claimed that these 'traitors' intend to 'dry up the new generation of the country.' Erdogan stated, 'One or two children are not enough.' His government has consistently been accused by various groups of attempting to impose Islamic Sharia on society and limiting women's civil rights in Turkey. Erdogan, who has two sons and two daughters, previously angered women's rights groups by stating that every woman should have three children and that 'women are not equal to men.' He has also proposed restricting abortion rights, limiting contraceptive pills, and cesarean surgeries. Turkey's population has seen exponential growth over the past decades, reaching over 76 million, but the fertility rate in the country has recently declined. Erdogan has previously warned about the decreasing fertility rate.