Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz and Minister of Family and Social Services Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş attended the closing program of the 2nd Council on Old Age, held in a hotel under the auspices of the Presidency.

Speaking here, Yılmaz stated that the issue of old age has begun to be addressed as a more specific policy area, and that the steps taken within the scope of the “Year of Pensioners”, “Year of the Family” and “10 Years of Family and Population 2026-2035” in the ongoing process have brought this approach to a broader ground.

Pointing to the demographic transformation process, Yılmaz noted that while the child and young population rate decreased, the elderly population rate increased rapidly and the fertility rate decreased.

Yılmaz stated that Türkiye ranks 75th among 194 countries according to the 2025 elderly population rate, and that the elderly population rate, which was 5.7 percent of the total population in 2000, will exceed 10 percent for the first time in 2023, moving the country into the category of very old countries, and said, “This 10 percent is a critical threshold. When the ratio of the population over the age of 65 to the total population exceeds 10 percent, that country is now in the very old country category. We “Interestingly, we have crossed such a threshold in the 100th anniversary of our Republic. According to TÜİK estimates, if the current structure in demographic indicators continues, this rate will increase to 11.1 percent in 2025, 13.5 percent in 2030, and almost one-third of our population in 2100.” made his assessment.

Stating that the rate of elderly population increased over 10 percent in 62 provinces last year, Yılmaz stated that there is at least one elderly person in more than 7 million households, and that approximately 2 million households consist of elderly individuals living alone.

“WE CONTINUE WORK ON THE LONG-TERM CARE INSURANCE SYSTEM”

Referring to the Active Aging Index data, Yılmaz said that active and productive aging is important for the happiness of the individual and his/her self-image in a better position, as well as for the society at large.

Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz said:

“Within the framework of our Medium-Term Program, adapting to the changing demographic structure of our country and strengthening care services for our elderly population are among our primary goals. In this direction, we continue to work on the implementation of the Long-Term Care Insurance System. When these mature, they will definitely come to the agenda at a suitable time. Such insurance systems will both give our people much greater power in old age and will support Türkiye’s financial system by increasing the general savings rate. Thanks to this system, our citizens will need nursing, care services and services in old age, either at home or in care centers.” “We aim to provide them with easier, safer and sustainable access to support such as medical equipment.”

Yılmaz stated that the studies carried out by the Ministry of Family and Social Services for the elderly are based on the elderly individuals living an active and healthy life in their own living environment with their families, and said:

“Today, we have significantly improved the scope and quality of the services we offer to our elderly individuals. While we provided services to approximately 5 thousand elderly people in 63 official nursing homes in 2002, today we provide services to 15 thousand citizens from 178 official nursing homes. In addition, when we add up the services provided by private nursing homes and other public institutions, we offer this service to around 30 thousand citizens. We will continue to expand the infrastructure of these services with an additional capacity of 900 in 8 provinces in 2026.”

Yılmaz emphasized that they have strongly developed community-based services based on supporting elderly individuals in their own living environments and said, “We aim to strengthen the family structure, increase the participation of our elderly in social life, and reduce the need for institutional care, thanks to the home care assistance offered to our elderly citizens, day care and active life centers. We have created a strong service network by handling home care, psychosocial support and cultural activities in an integrated structure with our elderly support program, which also includes our local governments in the process.” he said.

“WE TRANSFORMED THE GOAL OF AN AGE-FRIENDLY SOCIETY INTO A CONCRETE ROADMAP”

Cevdet Yılmaz stated that digital literacy training was provided to approximately 2 thousand elderly people in 43 provinces, and with 21 “Digital Spring Rooms” established in 19 provinces, they facilitated the elderly’s access to technology, supported their independent living skills and strengthened their adaptation to digital life.

Stating that they have created comprehensive new standards in care services starting from 2021 to increase service quality, Yılmaz said, “We prepared the Vision Document on Aging in order to strengthen our policy framework, and in line with this vision, we implemented the Elderly Rights National Action Plan, which includes 16 goals and 51 actions. With these plans, we turned the goal of an age-friendly society based on the rights of elderly individuals into a concrete road map.” he said.

Stating that they have created a strong data infrastructure that addresses the needs, risk areas and expectations of elderly individuals in a holistic manner with the Turkey Elderly Profile Survey, Yılmaz said that they aim to develop protective and preventive policies in line with this data and to continue services on a more accurate basis.

Vice President Yılmaz stated that the main issue in the coming period is to make permanent an order that makes the later years of life more qualified, independent and safe, and said, “I wholeheartedly believe that this council, which deals with the phenomenon of aging with a holistic approach and develops data-based and predictable policies, will be the road map of the coming period.” he said.

Before the program, Yılmaz and Göktaş examined the handmade products prepared by the residents of Seyranbağları, 75. Yıl and Ümitköy Nursing Home, Elderly Care and Rehabilitation centers and chatted with the residents of the nursing home for a while.

AK Party Deputy Chairman, Promotion and Media Chairman Faruk Acar reacted with harsh words to CHP Chairman Özgür Özel’s words targeting President Erdoğan and MHP Chairman Devlet Bahçeli.

“IT IS THE CLEAREST PROVIDENCE OF THE IMPORCEMENT IN CHP”

This unconscious and reckless mentality, which is unaware of even the words coming out of its own mouth and does not know what it is talking about, is the clearest proof of the incompetence in the CHP. This incompetence that the CHP Chairman is accused of is now an eclipse of reason. The frivolity of the short-sighted person who has been calling Palestine Israel for two days clearly shows how much we should take him into consideration on other issues of which he is ignorant.

This unconscious and reckless mentality, which is unaware of even the words coming out of its own mouth and does not know what it is talking about, is the clearest proof of the incompetence in the CHP.

This incompetence that the CHP Chairman is accused of is now an eclipse of reason.

You have the shortsightedness to call Palestine Israel for two days… pic.twitter.com/DrHsFn3rHH

— Faruk Acar (@acarfaruka) April 21, 2026

“The place where those ugly expressions suit is next to him”

Another reaction to Özel came from AK Party Deputy Chairman and Party Spokesperson Ömer Çelik. Çelik made the following statements:

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel should be very careful about the expressions he uses when talking about our President and Mr. Devlet Bahçeli. We return those ugly statements to Özgür Özel himself. The place where those ugly expressions suit him is next to himself. Özgür Özel’s mentioning of our President in the same sentence as Netanyahu is an example of political folly. The Özgür Özel mentality is an unqualified and unconscious mentality that calls Hamas a terrorist organization, calls Palestinian children Israelis, and still shows its side today. Let Özgür Özel make the indefinite statements that attempt to question our President’s sensitivity towards Palestine in Gaza, the West Bank or Jerusalem, and let him see the response he will receive from our Palestinian brothers. It is very clear that our Palestinian brothers will regard anyone who tries to question our President’s Palestinian sensitivity as a “collaborator of the Netanyahu mentality”.

NEW GAF FROM ÖZGÜR ÖZEL: WE ARE TOGETHER WITH ISRAEL

CHP Chairman Özgür Özel, who said “71 thousand Israeli babies died” instead of “71 thousand Palestinians died” in a speech, made another blunder less than 24 hours after these words. The CHP leader, who tried to put President Erdoğan on the same side with Netanyahu at his party’s group meeting, said, “We are on the same side with Israel and we are together.”

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek, in his post on his social media account, stated that he hosted the valuable lawyers of Sumud Fleet, which has become one of the symbols of the struggle for humanity, at the Ministry. Stating that the blocking of humanitarian aid intended to be delivered to Gaza once again clearly reveals Israel’s approach to systematically violating international humanitarian law, Gürlek said, “The indictment prepared by our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the attack on the Sumud Flotilla has been accepted; the trial process has officially started in the file containing the most serious accusations such as crimes against humanity, genocide, torture and plunder.” he said.

“STRONG WILL FOR THE BUILDING OF A JUST WORLD”

Minister Gürlek stated that in the face of attacks targeting the right to life of Gaza civilians, determined struggles continue to hold those responsible accountable before international law. Gürlek said, “Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our country will continue to defend the just cause of the Palestinian people on every international platform; to stand by the Palestinians against oppression and to demonstrate a strong will for the construction of a more just world.” he said.

In the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that the Greek Fisheries Control Directorate has established prohibited fishing zones in areas over which it does not have authority, and said, “It has been determined that Greece has established fishing prohibited zones in some areas in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean where it does not have authority, and that various maps have been published contrary to international law on the official website of the Greek Fisheries Control Directorate. Maps that draw non-existent, imaginary maritime borders between Turkey and Greece in the Aegean and the Mediterranean and violate Turkish maritime jurisdictions there are not valid. Greece’s 6 seas.” “The illegal restrictions it imposes on fishing activities in areas over which it has no authority, in maritime areas and in international waters, beyond its 10000-mile-wide territorial waters, are also null and void for Türkiye.”

“WE REMEMBER THE DECLARATION OF ATHENS ON FRIENDLY RELATIONS AND GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD”

Stating that Greece acted against international law, he said, “Turkey will not accept any unilateral and illegal measures that may be brought against the legitimate activities of Turkish fishermen based on international law and historical rights. With this understanding, we remind that Türkiye maintains its stance that a sincere and comprehensive approach should be adopted for the solution of problems on the basis of international law, equity and good neighborliness within the framework of the Athens Declaration on Friendly Relations and Good Neighbourhood, dated 7 December 2023.”

In his speech at the international meeting titled “International Policy and Practice Sharing on the Protection of Children in the Digital Environment” held in a hotel in the capital with the participation of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s wife, Emine Erdoğan, Göktaş stated that they are together to address one of the most critical issues of the age in all its dimensions. Stating that they aim to create an international cooperation basis to provide a safe digital environment for children with the two-day program, Göktaş thanked UNICEF and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on Violence Against Children for their contributions, and expressed his gratitude to First Lady Erdoğan for their participation.

Emphasizing that children are now growing up at the very center of the digital world, Göktaş said: “According to UNICEF data, one child in the world is introduced to the internet every half a second. Children are living a life intertwined with screens. This new reality imposes a very clear responsibility on us, to protect our children in the digital space with determination. The digital world offers great opportunities, yes. It facilitates access to information, yes. It diversifies learning opportunities and makes children’s talents visible. However, the same field carries with it multi-layered risks such as bullying, abuse, addiction, privacy violation, harmful content and manipulation. This “These risks can lead to serious consequences that increase anxiety in children, deepen loneliness and cause depressive effects. On the other hand, OECD findings reveal that children are also surrounded by data privacy violations, invisible guidance of algorithms and targeted advertising.”

Pointing out that technologies such as deepfake reveal more complex and dangerous forms of child abuse, Göktaş said, “For this reason, we have to consider digital environments not only as a technical development area, but also with legal, ethical, educational and social policy dimensions. Ensuring the safety of our children in digital environments is not only a national but a global responsibility. In this direction, we aim to create a strong and sustainable international cooperation basis.” he said. Göktaş noted that at this point, a framework that strengthens protective and preventive mechanisms is needed more than ever, and said that this framework should support the family, include the school in the process, impose clear responsibilities on digital platforms and maintain strong international cooperation.