President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan emphasized Türkiye’s commitment to strengthening family values, cultural resilience, and child protection in the face of global challenges during his address at the Family and Culture-Arts Symposium held at the Nation’s Library in Ankara.

Speaking at the event, Erdoğan said Türkiye continues to “lay the keystones of the path to the Century of Türkiye” by integrating cultural and artistic initiatives into national family policies. He noted that ministries and relevant institutions are operating with a “multidimensional risk prevention approach” to safeguard the family structure.

Erdoğan warned that global capitalism, along with what he described as cultural and digital forms of influence, is intensifying worldwide. He stressed that these pressures pose direct risks to social and moral foundations.

“We care deeply about the family institution in a period when global capitalism has opened new fronts, and when cultural capitalism and digital siege further intensify across the world,” he said.

Highlighting what he called “impositions,” Erdoğan reiterated his government’s stance against desexualization trends and what he described as “deviant movements such as LGBT,” stressing that Türkiye would not allow “concession, negligence, or complacency.”

Erdoğan’s address coincided with November 20, World Children’s Day. He highlighted Türkiye’s efforts to protect children’s rights to life, education, health, safety, and expression.

He noted the rapid changes in children’s social environments, from physical spaces to digital platforms, which bring both opportunities and significant risks.

“Today, our children grow up, learn, spend time, play games and make friends not just in streets, neighborhoods, or at schools, but also in the digital world,” Erdoğan said.

While digital transformation improves access to knowledge and communication, he warned it also exposes children to cyberbullying, digital addiction, privacy violations, and violent online content.

Erdoğan outlined several national strategies designed to respond to these risks, including the Türkiye Child Rights Strategy Document and Action Plan (2023–2028) and the Action Plan for the Empowerment of Children in the Digital World, both of which aim to strengthen digital literacy, promote safe online environments, and expand training programs for children and families.

He said these policies aim to increase digital literacy, promote secure digital platforms, and expand training programs for children and families to ensure safer online engagement.

Erdoğan concluded by reaffirming that Türkiye will continue to strengthen cultural and family-focused initiatives to protect future generations amid rapidly evolving global dynamics. (ILKHA)