Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing severe criticism on social media, as a result of his advice to a man named Mehmet Ali who joined his party.
Mehmet Ali Elebi recently resigned from Turkey’s main opposition Republican Party and joined Erdoğan’s Justice and Development Party earlier this month. Mehmet Ali was officially welcomed to the party on Wednesday.
Mehmet came with his wife to the party event where they were welcomed. Erdogan asked Mehmet how many children he had. In response, he told him that he had one child. After hearing the answer, Erdogan told Mehmet’s wife that they should have more children.
Mehmet said that his wife is studying for a Ph.D. and that it is important for her career. Erdogan said, “It’s right, but it’s also important to increase the number of children. We hope you understand that. Look, members of the Kurdish Labor Party have five to ten children.
President Erdogan himself is a father of four children. Mehmet Ali Silebi, 38 years old, is a member of parliament and has served in the army. He is also an airline pilot.
His political career was apolitical and highly volatile. In 2018, he became a Republican congressman. In 2021, he left the Republican Party and joined the Nationalist Party. After that, he was elected as an independent MP in February last year.
According to Greek News, in 2008 he was charged with corruption and sentenced to 41 months in prison. In 2014, he was released from prison. A video of the conversation between Erdogan, Mehmet, and his wife has been widely circulated on social media.
Several opposition leaders vehemently attacked Erdogan and described his speech as racist. Meral Danish Bestas, a lawmaker from the pro-Kurdish People’s Democratic Party of Turkey, condemned Erdogan’s statement.
“Erdogan is well aware that members of the Kurdish Workers’ Party do not have many children. Erdogan considers the birth of many children by the Kurdish Workers’ Party to be an act of terrorism, and Erdogan’s statement is racist against the Kurds.
The party of former Turkish Prime Minister Ahmed Davutoglu also criticized Erdogan’s statement. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party has been campaigning for its rights in Turkey for a long time. Erdogan’s government has described this party as a terrorist organization.
Ahmed Dawatogalu left Erdogan’s party and formed his own party in 2019. “Your words are offensive to women and human rights. Every child born is a respected citizen of this country. “Erdogan is even creating discrimination among children,” said Ahmed Dawatogalu.
Erdogan has already mentioned that Islam allows many children. In a speech in Istanbul in 2016, Erdoan said, “Women have a responsibility to protect the health of the Turkish people. We need to increase the number of our offspring.
People talk about reducing the population and family planning, but Muslim family does not accept that. This is what Allah and our Prophet told us, and we are following the path”.
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