The Role of Turkey’s Pronatalist Policies in War, Famine, and Epidemic Policies During World War II

Abstract

This study examines Turkey’s policies developed in response to three major threats to its population during the Second World War—war, famine and epidemics—within the framework of pronatalist population policies. While the existing literature largely explains Turkey’s neutrality through geopolitical and diplomatic factors, this study analyses the role of demographic concerns in decision-making processes. Policies aimed at increasing birth rates are evaluated not merely as instruments for raising fertility, but as part of a broader governance framework encompassing the protection and management of the population. Drawing on approaches to biopolitics and demographic security, the study uses Turkey as a case study to examine the role of pronatalist policies in wartime state policies. The research is based on primary sources, including documents from the State Archives of the Republic of Turkey, minutes of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, and official government publications. The findings suggest that Turkey’s wartime policies were shaped not only by security and foreign policy concerns, but also by the aim of ensuring demographic sustainability. This study contributes to the literature by introducing a demographic perspective to the analysis of wartime policies.