Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told a meeting on women's rights Monday that gender equality was contrary to nature and said feminists did not recognize the value of motherhood.

Erdogan, whose conservative ideology often raises hackles in more liberal segments of Turkish society, said women's "delicate" nature meant it was impossible to place them on an equal footing with men.

Economists cite the low numbers of women in the workforce as an obstacle to Turkey's development, while the European Union – which Turkey has been negotiating to join for over a decade – has urged the country to do more to improve gender equality.

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