Against the backdrop of rising social tensions, shifting cultural norms, and growing public concern over the state of the family institution in Türkiye, HÜDA PAR’s Family Presidency convened a comprehensive and impactful conference titled “Son Kale: Aile” (Last Fortress: Family).

Held at the Barış Manço Cultural Center, the event brought together party officials, academics, civil society representatives, and citizens from across Bursa — all united by the conviction that the family remains the central pillar of society, and a pillar increasingly under attack.

The program opened with a solemn recitation of the Holy Quran, grounding the gathering in spiritual reflection and reminding participants of the religious and moral foundations upon which the family institution stands. The atmosphere carried a clear sense of urgency, with speakers emphasizing that the pressures facing families today are unprecedented in both scope and complexity.

Çiftçi: “If the family collapses, no institution can replace it”

The first speaker, HÜDA PAR General Administrative Board Member Zehra Çiftçi, delivered a comprehensive critique of the cultural, social, and ideological challenges confronting families in Türkiye and around the world. Her remarks established the tone of the conference, underscoring both the fragility and irreplaceability of the family unit.

Over the past year, Çiftçi noted, HÜDA PAR has organized family-focused panels across many provinces to identify problems and propose solutions. The findings, she stressed, point to a deeply troubling trend.

“The family is the cornerstone of society,” she said. “If the family collapses, there is no institution capable of replacing it.”

Çiftçi identified several alarming patterns contributing to the erosion of the family unit: she highlighted a steady rise in divorce rates accompanied by a growing emotional distance and mistrust between spouses, leading to the normalization of conflict within homes. She further pointed to external threats, specifically citing the influence of digital platforms that promote harmful worldviews and media content that mocks morality, degrades modesty, and weakens family bonds.

She warned that children, in particular, are increasingly exposed to values and behaviors fundamentally foreign to local cultural norms.

“Homes meant to be havens of peace are instead becoming battlegrounds,” she lamented.

“Stopping anti-family activities is essential for revitalizing the family institution”

Çiftçi issued one of her strongest warnings regarding how quickly destructive influences can destabilize families.

“All steps taken to revitalize the family institution will remain ineffective if anti-family activities continue unchecked,” she said, pointing specifically to daytime television shows, sensationalist media, and content that glamorizes infidelity, materialism, and disrespect.

She argued that policy changes and awareness campaigns alone cannot save the family. What is needed is a nationwide consensus that combating cultural corruption is just as important as strengthening family support systems.

Çiftçi's call to action was comprehensive, demanding a multi-faceted approach to protect the family: she advocated for stronger regulation of harmful media to shield families from corrupting influences, alongside necessary educational reforms that emphasize moral upbringing. Furthermore, she urged for a holistic approach involving ministries, civil society, and political actors to ensure wide-ranging institutional support, and stressed the need for community-based initiatives that support marriage and parenthood at the local level.

“The family cannot be protected with statistics or charts,” Çiftçi said. “It requires commitment, vigilance, and collective responsibility.”

Ramanlı: “The family is the last obstacle against attempts to reshape society”

HÜDA PAR Batman Deputy Serkan Ramanlı followed with a powerful and emotionally charged speech examining the broader geopolitical and cultural forces targeting family values.

He argued that global ideological currents seek to reshape societies by weakening their foundational units — especially the family.

“They have influenced our youth, our economy, our politics — but the family remains their greatest obstacle,” he warned. “If the family is destroyed, societies will be forced to adopt the beliefs, behaviors, and lifestyles imposed upon them.”

Ramanlı observed that many campaigns aimed at destabilizing society focus on women. Yet he insisted that men must take responsibility as well.

“Let us, as men, point the needle at ourselves,” he said. “The family is not an institution women alone must protect.”

In his address to the men in the audience, Ramanlı strongly urged them to embrace greater equality and shared responsibility within the family structure. Specifically, he called on men to participate more actively in raising children and to fully share domestic responsibilities with their wives. Beyond dividing labor, he emphasized the critical need to treat their wives with compassion and respect and to actively support women in social, political, and cultural arenas, affirming that their participation completes the society as a whole.

“If the woman is absent from social, political, and cultural life, then the man is also incomplete,” he said.

Ramanlı also criticized what he described as the capitalist exploitation of women within global economic systems, urging a more dignified and value-oriented approach to gender roles.

Gültekin: “We risk losing families today, youth tomorrow, and society thereafter”

The academic section of the conference was delivered by Dr. Mücahit Gültekin, who provided a detailed analysis of socio-cultural shifts and their impact on modern families. He noted that the family issue has become one of the most discussed topics within the Islamic public over the past five years.

He presented a troubling picture of current social trends, highlighting several deep-rooted challenges: families are becoming smaller, marriage is being increasingly delayed, and divorce is becoming normalized. Furthermore, he pointed to a youth increasingly disconnected from traditional structures, all of which contributes to a widening gap between enduring cultural values and the realities of daily life.

Gültekin stressed that the government’s declaration of the current year as “The Year of the Family” underscores the seriousness of the crisis.

“If we do not understand the root causes of what we are experiencing,” he warned, “we risk losing not only families today, but youth tomorrow, and society thereafter.”

He called for a renewed culture of critical thinking and self-accountability, arguing that communities must be willing to address their own weaknesses rather than attributing everything to external factors.

A proposal for long-term protection: Permanent monitoring boards

Gültekin’s most concrete proposal was the establishment of permanent monitoring boards to protect the family institution, which would be tasked with tracking global cultural trends and academic developments, following relevant legal and regulatory changes, monitoring media content and digital platforms for harmful influences, and ultimately providing evidence-based recommendations for policy and social intervention.

He emphasized that civil society organizations must maintain independence from political interests and instead prioritize value-based advocacy.

“NGOs must never surrender their moral compass to political interests,” he said.

He concluded by stressing six values essential for strengthening the family: foresight, justice, mercy, fortitude, accountability, and an awareness of the hereafter.

A unified call to protect the “last fortress”

The conference concluded with the presentation of gifts and expressions of unity among participants. Attendees agreed that the gathering served not only as a platform for analysis but also as a call to action — urging families, communities, and institutions to work together to address one of the nation’s most pressing issues.

Speakers repeatedly emphasized that the family remains the “last fortress” shielding individuals from cultural erosion, ideological manipulation, and spiritual emptiness. As Türkiye navigates rapid modernization, shifting values, and external pressures, the conference highlighted a growing movement committed to preserving the moral and cultural fabric of society. (ILKHA)