Minister Göktaş: “The Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Empowerment of the Family is the first example in Turkey focused on the protection of the family”

Minister of Family and Social Services, Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, stated that the “Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family” is the first example in Turkey focusing on the protection of the family, saying, “With this plan, our aim is to comprehensively protect and strengthen the family institution against global harmful trends.”

Minister Göktaş participated in the conference titled “Family and Contemporary Megatrends” held in Qatar, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the declaration of the “Year of the Family” by the United Nations. Speaking to participants in the session titled “Saving the World, Securing the Family,” which addressed the issue of climate change, Göktaş noted that climate change, which he described as a multidimensional problem, affects the entire world. He drew attention to the recent droughts in agricultural regions, forest fires, earthquakes, and flood disasters, stating, “These disasters pose a threat not only to our lands but also to our homes, our livelihoods, and most importantly, the future of our children. This issue affects our society as a whole. We share a common responsibility to seek solutions for the health, safety, and well-being of our families.”

“We will conduct analyses on the societal impacts of climate change.”

Emphasizing the importance of strong collaboration with national and international institutions and organizations in the policy development and implementation process regarding these issues, Minister Göktaş said, “As Turkey, we are addressing the challenges related to climate change and environmental pollution through effective and sustainable policies and projects. In this context, the net zero emission target for 2053 announced by our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is of critical importance. Additionally, the Zero Waste Project, carried out under the patronage of Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, is an effective initiative to prevent environmental pollution and combat climate change. This project not only serves as an example in our country but also contributes to the development of sustainable environmental policies worldwide. Moreover, we are developing policies to address these issues by considering factors such as migration, poverty, income distribution, and inequality. In this regard, we believe that the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan will serve as a vital roadmap for our country. Through this plan, we will conduct analyses on how climate change affects all segments of society, especially vulnerable groups. Thus, we aim to empower all families, particularly women, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, against the impacts of climate change through our social services and assistance programs,” he said.

“The first example in Turkey.”

In response to a question about efforts to strengthen social services and infrastructure to better support families in regions most affected by climate change, Göktaş conveyed that climate change has social, economic, and psychological dimensions beyond its environmental impacts. He stated that these dimensions lead to many challenges for vulnerable groups, especially women, children, the elderly, and individuals with disabilities, and emphasized, “As a ministry whose target audience includes these groups, we have taken significant steps to strengthen the sustainability and accessibility of the services we provide. In this context, the Vision Document and Action Plan for the Protection and Strengthening of the Family is one of the concrete steps taken in our efforts to tackle these challenges. This action plan is the first example in Turkey focused on the protection of the family and includes carefully selected ‘5 strategic goals.'”

Expressing that they aim to comprehensively protect and strengthen the family institution against global harmful trends with this plan, Göktaş stated:

“With this plan, our aim is to comprehensively protect and strengthen the family institution against global harmful trends. With this action plan, we aim to increase environmental awareness in our country and promote the adoption of family-oriented environmental policies. We aim to spread the understanding of family-friendly cities that consider the basic needs of families. Additionally, it is crucial to strengthen the problem-solving capacities of families so that they can cope with the issues they may face. In the event of a potential disaster or crisis, we are taking our precautions swiftly. By establishing strong coordination with all our institutions, we are delivering our social assistance and psychosocial support services during disasters and emergencies. We mobilize all our resources to meet the needs for basic necessities such as shelter, food, and clothing, as well as their rehabilitation needs.”

Minister Göktaş noted that following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6, the Ministry immediately went to the field to stand by the citizens from the very beginning, and they continue to contribute to both individual and societal recovery with the psychosocial support services they provide.