The social effects of the migrations from the East and Southeast Anatolia to the west

Due to its geographical position, Anatolia has always experienced demographic changes. While the migrations had a tendency towards the Balkans during the expansion period of the Ottoman Empire, the migration turned its way to Anatolia during the regression and disintegration periods. Turkey, whose population was largely composed of the immigrants from the Balkans and the Caucasus, went through urbanization process after 1950s. The major cities of the country were faced with intensive migration movements from the rural areas to urban ones and from east to west. In 1984, Turkey experienced a new migration movement took place due to the PKK?s uprise in arms. About one million citizens from the Eastern Anatolia and Southeastern Anatolia Regions migrated to the major cities of the regions and west. However, such a sudden and compulsory migration brought about destructive results. The family structure and psychology of these immigrants were adversely affected and 80% of these people had to cope with poverty. During the urbanization period, the country faced distorted settlement, an increase in the crime rate and informal economy and these problems became more severe with the migrations. The ethnic polarization in the western cities resulting from the migrations has become the most important social problem of the country. This thesis explicates thoroughly the problems of the immigrants and the social effects of the migrations.