Implementing new strategies for combating poverty in Turkey
Implementing new strategies for combating poverty in Turkey

Summary/Abstract: Even though it is not likely that widespread poverty can be eliminated in the shortrun, it could be diminished particularly via an accurate determination of the essential reasons for it and the deployment of the right methods for eliminating these in the long-run. Such structural economic causes as unstable economic development, unequal income distribution and unemployment, in addition to such demographic causes as a large growth rate in the population, rapid migration from rural regions to urban ones and the poor education levels of households, and such social factors as sexual discrimination and the insufficiency of the social security system – all have played a substantial role as basic reasons in the level of poverty in Turkey. In recent years, in order to reduce the influences of poverty, various individual programmes have been implemented and, in particular, the social security system is being re-established with the aim of contributing to this aim. Beyond social benefit and service programmes, informal networks based on solidarity between certain social community members have been a significant means of providing social security and of reducing poverty in Turkey. Indeed, certain social institutions, which have traditional and religious historical roots, still do provide some social benefits and services in Turkey. However, the influence of this solidarity on social security and poverty is obviously not satisfactory in the long-run. Despite these decisive efforts, a systematic programme has not so far been put into practice to combat poverty in the state. That is, comprehensive government involvement so as to reduce poverty in Turkey does not yet exist.

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