Turkish Government cannot hide poverty in the age of social media

In 2013, Turkey’s GDP per capita reached an all time high of $12,600, but as of 2021 stands at just $9,100. The impressive development of the early 21st century now looks like an inflated bubble, which has burst to leave many with disappointed hopes of a better life. Compounded by the pandemic, economic pressures are forcing many Turkish people into very visible poverty.

In some ways, Turkey’s economy has been a victim of its own success. As incomes grew, demand for consumer goods also grew, and Turkey does not manufacture a lot of those. So imports began to increase faster than exports, and Turkey’s balance of payments deficit grew, undermining the currency and leading to inflation.

Turkey’s government prioritised sectors like construction and tourism, and their attempts to remould Turkish society in their own cultural image alienated Turkey’s educated, Westernised elites, who voted with their feet, especially following the coup attempt in 2016, and simply left Turkey. Meanwhile, Turkey took in up to 4 million Syrians, who for many years were denied the right to work legally, meaning that they were forced to take jobs in the black market, which may have dampened wages in some sectors.

And then Covid-19 came. Official government statistics show that in 2019, 17 million people in Turkey were already living below the poverty line. The economic crisis which already plagued Turkey in 2020 meant that it spent less than 1% of its GDP on welfare assistance to those affected by the pandemic, compared to 9% in some countries. According to Mustafa Sönmez in al-Monitor, the unofficial unemployment rate could be as high as 40%, while official statistics show it as only 13%.

And despite as much as 90% of Turkey’s media being controlled by government-linked businesses, the reality of this poverty is becoming hard to hide. Videos of people scavenging food left on the streets have underlined just how bad the situation is for some people.

A citizen was seen collecting vegetables and fruits from the garbage in Yenimahalle, Bingöl.

“The image of the citizen, who separates vegetables and fruits with a plastic bag he took in his hand, touched people’s hearts.”