For the past seven years, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has called on Turks to have at least three children. Those who have heeded his advice, however, seem to be in dire straits as many have left their children to state care.
According to the Ministry of Family and Social Policies’ Children Services Directorate, state support was requested for 6,977 children in the first five months of the year. The government is now providing financial assistance to their families. The total number of children for which families receive financial support reached 62,995 in May, up from 56,018 at the end of 2014.