economic crisis in Türkiye; An increase of 190,000 poor people in one year

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, increasing inflation, unemployment and poverty are constant topics of daily conversation. citizens of Turkey. Now, most of the coffee houses in the big cities of Turkey have gone out of business, and there is no sound of music, customers talking, and the sound of playing dominoes and backgammon. Because the price of a glass of plain tea is between 8 and 10 liras! A small simit bread, which used to not cost more than two or three liras, is now 17 liras and it is going to be priced once again and higher!

The official statistics and figures of Turkish government institutions show that only in 2023, one hundred And ninety thousand people have been added to the number of poor people in Turkey. On the other hand, the salaries of millions of Turkish citizens are even below the hunger line, and buying food in Turkey is difficult for a large part of the country’s population.

From the poverty line to the hunger line
Unions and confederations of workers and employees are very active in Turkey and every year they hold nationwide conferences and marches about the wage situation. and the level of well-being, they express their protests and demands.

But for several years now, there has been no mention of the “poverty line” in the speeches of the heads of trade unions and leaders of labor movements. Why? Is it because poverty has been removed from the life of workers and employees and now there are other demands? No.

To the contrary! For years, labor unions and wage earners in Turkey have been talking about the concept of “hunger line” and in fact they are saying in the language of silence:; We are satisfied with poverty, but staying below the hunger line is unbearable! 1403/03/08/1403030812044432730181254.jpg”/>
Expenditure and salary statistics
According to the data of the General Confederation of Labor, in 2023, Turkish people endured a difficult situation, but they hoped that after the general elections of May 1402 and the re-election of Erdogan, the market situation and their lives would improve a little. However, in 2024, the crisis and poverty continue, and both the hunger line and the poverty line increased in May this year. 1,926 liras have increased and meanwhile, the poverty line has reached 59,353 liras. Meanwhile, the salaries of millions of Turkish citizens go home with a monthly salary of 17,000 liras. The wage that needs another 3 thousand liras to reach the hunger line!

The hunger line has increased by 3 thousand 443 liras in the first five months of this year, and this indicates that it has become more expensive. All food groups are in Turkey. The poverty line has also increased by 12,368 liras and in a one-year period, the poverty line has increased by 28,201 liras, which is a worrying figure for tens of millions of Turkish citizens. Last year, the hunger ceiling increased by 8 thousand 116 liras. Costs have increased especially for basic food items such as meat, fish, eggs, milk, fruits and vegetables.

For example, the cost of meat, fish and eggs increased by 2,541 liras annually. It reached 5 thousand 995 liras. In non-food expenses, items such as clothing, housing, transportation and holiday hotels have increased. The poverty line, which represents the total expenses that a family of four needs for a decent life, increased by 1148 liras in May. It has increased to 59,353 liras, and such a figure is three and a half times the salary of a normal worker. Uploaded/Image/1403/03/08/1403030812041892030181244.jpg”/>
The statistics related to the report on income inequality and poverty, which was compiled by the Desc and Emek employee and labor union, showed that last year 190 thousand more have become poor in Turkey and the poverty rate has reached 21.7 percent. According to this report, the number of poor people, which was 18 million and 30 thousand in 2022, increased to 18 million and 219 thousand in 2023.

According to the data obtained from the government agency of statistics Turkey, known as TÜİK, the class divide in Turkey has reached the highest level and even the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has announced that Turkey ranks first in the list of all European countries in terms of poverty and wealth inequality, with 39% of the total wealth and resources. Turkey has 1% of its 85 million population.

Turkey is the third European country with the lowest minimum wage
Turkey is the third European country with the lowest minimum wage. According to data from Eurostat, although the minimum wage in Turkey will be 450 euros with the regulations implemented in January 2024, it is far behind many European countries.

The five countries with the lowest minimum wages are: from Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, while the five countries with the highest wages are Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

According to Eurostat data in 2023, Turkey is the country that It has the highest job poverty in EU countries. 15% of Turkish workers are poor. Other countries after Turkey are Spain and Slovenia.

On the other hand, the countries with the lowest job poverty are the Czech Republic, Denmark and Belgium. The Sorostat report showed that 4 out of every 10 women in Turkey are exposed to poverty and social deprivation, one out of every two people in Turkey is in debt and 15% of employees are poor.

Children, victims of poverty
According to TÜİK data, the rate of financial deprivation, defined as the proportion of people facing serious financial problems increased from 26.4% to 28.4% in one year. In addition, the persistent poverty rate, which refers to people living below the poverty line for at least three of the last four years, increased by 1.7 percent to 14 percent. Children are more exposed to poverty than other parts of Turkish society. So that out of every 10 children, the number of poor children is 31.3%, the rate of children in serious financial deprivation is 33.3%. According to this data, almost 3 out of 10 children are poor.

The report states: “There is a direct correlation between child poverty rates and children’s deprivation of their most basic needs: nutrition, health, education and shelter.” There is. This situation has a negative effect on the material, spiritual and emotional development of children. In this situation, children whose basic needs are not met in terms of mental and physical development become workers at a young age. Child labor is not only the result of insufficient government policies to protect children, but it is also a reflection of injustice in social and economic policies.” Elections will not be held and the government formed by the Justice and Development Party has announced that it will try to bring inflation down to a single digit by the second half of 2025. But the evidence shows that realizing this goal will not be an easy task.

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