Push factors: Why young people in southeastern Türkiye want to move to Europe

Young men drink tea near a Turkish Airlines office in Diyarbakır. (Photo: İnanç Yıldız)

Three out of four young people in Türkiye want to move abroad, according to recent surveys. This is especially true for doctors, a trend President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan both addressed and dismissed while speaking in March.

"If they are going, let them go," he said.

For years, Türkiye's so-called brain drain has been a topic of discussion and news headlines. To learn what's fueling the desire to leave, Turkey recap spoke with young citizens in the nation's southeast. Among many push factors, the most commonly cited were dire economic prospects and democratic backsliding.

Erdem Ayçiçek, 25 years old, lives in Suruç, Urfa

Despite graduating university with an agricultural engineering degree, Ayçiçek said he currently handles paint jobs in Gaziantep. When comparing living conditions between Türkiye and Europe, he believes there's a huge gap, which is not only economic. Ayçiçek said he believes that the quality of life and protections for self-expression and freedoms are much more advanced in Europe.

"Recently, a barber in our neighborhood went abroad with his four children and his wife," Ayçiçek said. "And when you look at it, this person worked in the same neighborhood for 16-17 years. He was making a higher income level than people working for minimum wage and even this man left."

Ayçiçek continued speaking of those living on minimum wage, which is currently 5,500 tl a month, or about 280 euros: "Half of the minimum wage goes to rent. With the other half, you have to cover the bills and house needs, but it's difficult. When people see this situation, they say to themselves: 'Why should I live 10 times worse than in Europe? I can go to Europe and live 10 times better.' I live with this dream, too."

After graduating from university, Ayçiçek looked for work in his field, but was unsuccessful. He said he also lacked the money to prepare for civil service exams because his family depends on him financially.

"I haven't been able to do anything in the field of agricultural engineering," Ayçiçek told Turkey recap. "I forget what I know about the profession. Why? Companies say, 'Come, but be my slave for minimum wage.' They say, 'Be a porter for me.'

"If I'm going to be a porter, why did I study?" Ayçiçek asked.

He continued: "I'm currently working as a construction painter, which is my father's profession, because I earn more than agricultural engineering. Ha, is it good? It's not."

"Even though I manage my own business, rather than being an employer in Türkiye, I think my quality of life would be better if I became a worker in Europe. That's why I got a construction painter certificate. With that, I want to go to Europe and work."

"This is not just about me, many young people think this way and want this. Almost everyone with a college degree is unemployed. There is an unemployment and inflation problem in Türkiye. And young people want to stop worrying about their future."

Uğur Çakıl, 32 years old, lives in Diyarbakır

Çakıl graduated with a journalism degree and worked in the media sector for a while before he was fired. Though he received an award for his reporting, Çakıl has yet to find another journalism job. Instead, he found a job at a call center, but was fired again when he asked about a salary promotion offered by banks. Saying that he has no hope left for Türkiye after his work experiences, Çakıl said he also wants to go abroad.

"The financial aspect is only one dimension," he told Turkey recap. "The inflation and living conditions in Türkiye are obvious."

Çakıl continued, "The events taking place now make me believe that I really want to leave this country. [The AKP] has already been in power for 20 years. Throughout this period, people did not feel comfortable, peaceful or happy in any way. I know that thousands of people like me want to go, and those who have the opportunity go."

Stating that he has experienced many difficulties with the work environment, Çakıl thinks that he can no longer be happy in Türkiye.

"I might not go if I really believe that Türkiye will get better", he said, adding that the 2023 elections are important and that friends tell him that everything will be fine after the elections.

Çakıl continued: "I think Türkiye is in a state of ruin right now and cannot recover for at least 15 years, even if it's managed well. It's in a very, very bad situation economically and in terms of freedom, in terms of democracy."

"I often watch street interviews. They usually ask, 'What is Türkiye's biggest problem?' and they say 'the economy'. Türkiye's biggest problem is democracy. Because when there is democracy, there is rule of law, an environment of trust is formed, and the economy can be in a very good condition."

"I mean, because the biggest problem is democracy, sometimes I feel like I can't breathe in this country. What happened is very painful. That's why I really don't want to stay anymore."

Serdar Topuz, 32 years old, lives in Diyarbakır

Topuz is a working student. He is currently at his fifth university, saying he left the others for economic reasons. His current university is in İstanbul, which he can only attend during exam periods because his financial situation does not allow him to stay in the city.

Topuz is currently doing organizational work. During one project, he traveled to Europe and found it to be perfect. Saying that Türkiye is in an economic deadlock right now, Topuz said he can barely make ends meet.

"That's why I noticed the living standards in Europe and talked to my family about it," Topuz told Turkey recap. "I plan to go after the elections if the current government wins ... From now on, I will take control of my own life and decide whether to go to Europe."

Topuz continued: "How many times have I been interviewed? If I had collected the money I spent on interviews, I would have opened a nice workplace for myself by now. Always nepotism, always nepotism ... To apply for ministry jobs, I took the inspector's exam. I took the district governor's and judge's exams. I didn't get a job."

"If you have friends in the right places, you will get somewhere in this country. Otherwise, you won't get anywhere. That's why we no longer want to live in this country. I don't want to think about my future. Let me have a standard life, a small house, a small car. I want to provide a good future for my child."

Topuz said discrimination towards Kurdish citizens also impacts his prospects in Türkiye.

"We have a mother language demand. We are exposed to racism. You can't get justice in this country. There are laws, but they are not applied in practice. There is only written law," Topuz said. "Everyone's psychology is broken right now in the country because the laws are not enforced."

Ahmet Yıldırım, 24-year-old lawyer in Diyarbakır

Conversely, because he is a lawyer, Yıldırım doesn't think about going abroad but he said he understands those who want to go.

"If I had studied another subject, I would have gone, too," Yıldırım said. "There's a high probability that I can earn a good income in my sector. I don't have a plan to go at the moment, but I can't say anything about the future."

Yıldırım decided to become a lawyer while he was in primary school after an incident between his father and the police.

"Are you going to protect my friends?" Yıldırım asked. "They may say this is Türkiye or this is humanity, but I chose this sector in primary school to change things for myself and I am happy now. I am doing this profession with great passion."(İY/VK)

This report was produced by Turkey recap with support from the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Turkey and the IPS Communication Foundation.

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