Another look at the class gap in Türkiye

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, these days in Turkey, The people of this country are spending the 9-day holiday of Eid al-Adha. The holiday, which for the first time in recent decades, faced two strange and unprecedented situations.

Firstly, most of the businessmen and breeders of Turkey who have tens of thousands of sheep and calves for sale in the market They had taken the victim’s livestock to western Turkey, they did not return with empty trucks, and due to the decrease in people’s purchasing power, the livestock remained on their hands. Second, the research of a reliable survey institute in Turkey showed that even the long 9-day holiday did not encourage anyone to travel and only 4% of the people showed up for domestic trips to visit their families and relatives on the occasion of Eid. Foreigners should go.

However, Justice and Development Party officials say that people are in peace and prosperity, and the use of the word “poverty” shows the hostile and exaggerated approach of the opposition.

Some leaders of the Justice and Development Party’s policy center have announced that the reservation of all hotels in Turkey is a sign of the prosperity and wealth of the people, and no beach, hotel, urban or rural tourism area has empty capacity. But the critics have another clear argument that proves the increase in the number of poor people in this country and the unprecedented class gap.

When the statistics, It shows the bitterness of poverty

Gorsel Tekin, one of the leaders of the People’s Republic Party, who has been a representative of the people of Istanbul in the Turkish Parliament for more than 15 years, about the relationship between wealth and richness Turkish people and the filled capacity of hotels and tourist centers, commented.

By showing some numbers and figures, he proved the fact that the fullness of Turkish hotels cannot be a way to prove Let the Turkish people be rich.

Tekin said: “Let’s accept the fact that in Turkey, there is a huge class gap, inequality and injustice in the distribution of income and resources. Some of the Akparty leaders have presented hotel occupancy rates and statistics as proof of poverty alleviation! But let’s be honest and talk about this issue based on the statistics of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism”.

Gorsel Tekin wrote further about Turkey’s economic situation: “How many people is the population of Turkey? 85 million people. Now let’s see what number and figure shows the total number of beds in Turkish hotels. According to the statistics of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the number of hotels in the country is 21,000, and the number of beds in our hotels is 1,800,000. Now you understand what is going on? 1,800,000 people out of 85 million people, what percentage of the total population? In the most optimistic scenario, it does not even reach 3%. That too in the situation that maybe half of these beds are available to foreign tourists! So the richest 2 million go on vacation and the rest of the population watches them on TV. You have been fooling yourself for years and pretending that things are going well. But you took the country to the abyss and ruined the situation”. 03/29/1403032913552795730333804.jpg”/>

Gorsel Tekin further pointed out that a rich and wealthy class has been formed in Turkey, with a figure of 17 million people in this class. They add This means 20% of Turkey’s population of 85 million people.

The interesting point is that this Turkish politician, based on the statistics of the Central Bank, proved that the rich class of 20% in question, out of every 100 lira banknote, the revenues in Turkey keep 50 lira in their pockets and give the rest to ordinary people. That is, a 100 lira banknote in Turkey is divided in this way: 50 lira for a population of 17 million people and 50 lira for a population of 68 million people! It shows that the number of poor people in Turkey has increased year by year. In 2021, 4 million 400 thousand households would meet their food needs by receiving social security assistance and supporting the poor.

But this figure will increase to 4 million and 900 thousand households increased. Only in 2023, 190 thousand people were added to the number of poor people in Türkiye. On the other hand, the monthly salaries of millions of Turkish citizens are even below the hunger line, and it is very difficult to buy food for a large part of the country’s population.

What is the most important problem in Turkey? to give It should be remembered that in previous years, many citizens of Turkey put issues such as anti-security measures of terrorist groups, political differences of parties, political and social bipolarity, and financial corruption at the top of the country’s list of problems.

But a recent survey conducted in 26 provinces of Turkey has given different results. In this survey, the participants were asked: What do you think is the most important problem in Turkey at the moment? The answers are as follows:

1. Increase in the price of food products by 26.7%.

2. Increase in the price of rent and housing: 11% .

3. The high price of electricity, natural gas and water: 8.1 percent.

4. The high price of fuel: 7.2 percent.

5. High inflation 7.0 percent.

6. Unemployment: 5.5 percent.

7. Injustice 5.4 percent.

8. High interest rate of bank facilities 4.4 percent.

9. Lack of educational facilities 4 percent.

10. High tax rate 3.1%.

11. Class gap and social inequality 2.5%.

12. Current account deficit 1.7%.

13. Extravagance in government institutions 1.3%.

14. Destruction of moral values ​​1 percent.

15. We have problems in all areas, 5.2 percent.

16. Turkey does not have a particular problem, 1.1 percent.

p dir=”RTL”>17. I have no idea, 2.6 percent.

What is the distribution of income among the population of Turkey? >

Statistics show that the division of Turkish population based on 5 groups of 20% is as follows:

a) Bottom 20%: This part of the Turkish population in 2013 could have a share of 6.2%, but it will decrease to 5.9% in 2022.

b) The second 20% from the bottom to Above: the share of this sector, which was 10.9% in 2013, but decreased to 9.8% in 2022.

c) Third or middle 20%: the share of this sector, which in 2013 was equal to 15.2%, it decreased to 14.7% in 2022.

d) Fourth 20%: The share of this sector, which was 21.7% in 2013, will be 20.5% in 2022. decreased.

e) Rich 20%: The share of this sector, which was 45.9% in 2013, will increase to 49.8% in 2022.

Special research on the income inequality and poverty report published by the Emek Research EMAR research office shows that the poverty rate has reached 21.7 percent and the income inequality in Turkey is higher than the average of EU countries.

Furthermore, it has been found that even 15% of Turkish employees are poor. Because Türkiye is the third European country with the lowest minimum wage. According to Eurostat data, although the minimum wage in Turkey will be equal to 450 euros with the regulations implemented in January 2024, it is far behind many European countries. The five countries with the lowest minimum wage are Albania, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. By the middle of 2025, inflation in this country will become single digits. 

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