‘Family Workshop’ focuses on causes of divorce in TRNC
The TRNC’s first ever “Family Workshop” has been held. Organised by the Presidential Social Support Committee and the Cyprus Foundations Administration (Evkaf) and held under the auspices of the Presidency and led by First Lady Sibel Tatar, the event brought together a total of 200 individuals from 30 different institutions, as well as the Republic of Turkey’s Family and Social Services Ministry to discuss “domestic issues” of families and the causes of divorce. The two-day event was held at the Acapulco resort’s Acamdemia Hall from February 17 to February 18.
In her speech addressing the workshop, Mrs Tatar thanked her husband President Ersin Tatar and the attendees for their participation. She emphasised the role and importance of the institution of the family and its role in society, saying: “The institution of the family is the foundation of society. The family, consisting of a mother, a father, and a child, is the group that ensures that children are brought up in the most appropriate way, so that they can assume responsibilities within society.”
Mrs Tatar then went on to speak of the educational value of the family, explaining that “family is an institution, where an individual receives their first education and sees and learns right from wrong”.
She added that “family plays a role in the shaping of an individual’s
personality, where we want the most accurate information and proper care and attention to be given”.
Mrs Tatar spoke of how the existence of a “strong individual” in turn creates a “strong society”, and referenced the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in speaking of her belief in the family’s fundamental importance in the raising of children.
“It has been accepted that in order for the child’s personality to develop fully and harmoniously, children should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love, and understanding,” she said.
Mrs Tatar also used her speech to call for government action to
protect and enhance the role of the family, announcing that “support must be given in order to take measures that will make the continuation of marriage possible”.
She added that legal assistance should be provided to those who have decided to divorce, but also made the point that “it is the responsibility of the state to help families to be able to continue their marriage where possible”.
She later called on the state to provide support from psychologists to children whose parents are divorcing.
Lamenting the country’s and the world’s divorce rates, Mrs Tatar said regretfully that “the erosion of the institution of the family is continuing both in the world
and our country” and that “while marriage rates are decreasing, divorce rates are increasing”.
She then went on to point out that there were 1,204 marriages in the TRNC in 2016, a number she said dropped to 951 in 2020, and that seven out of every 10 marriages are ending in divorce.
She indicated that these statistics constitute a fundamental human rights issue, saying that “the protection of the family, which is the fabric of society itself, should be our national strategic goal”.
Mrs Tatar concluded her speech by announcing the publication of the “Happy Children’s Parent Handbook”, which will provide guidance to parents in the TRNC.