Social aid policies for the elderly in Turkey and the effect of these aid on the political perceptions, attitudes and preferences of the elderly people: Case study of Söke

The old age period is the period in which the effect of the concept of time on human life is felt the most. However, age and old age are sociocultural phenomena, and they differ both from society to society and from time to time. As it is a phenomenon that has emerged on a global scale, it is also difficult to define. However, as many researchers agree on the elderly population has gradually increased with the effect of developing and improving health conditions which was enabled by the process of modernization. Today, one out of every ten people in our country is defined in the elderly population category. With this increase, the increase in the elderly population is an indication that more social policies are needed. At the same time, the fact that older individuals are voters should not be ignored. The aim of this study is to examine the social assistance policies for the elderly and to reveal the effects of these assistance policies on the political perception, attitudes and voting preferences of the elderly. The participant group of the study is thirty individuals aged 65 and over, living in AydınSöke district and benefiting from the assistance provided by the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation established within the scope of the law no. 3294. Our sample group consists of individuals aged 65 and over, living in AydınSöke district and benefiting from the assistance provided by the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation established within the scope of the law numbered 3294. Our participant group was randomly selected and the sample was determined by the typical sampling technique in the direction of purposeful sampling in the population of Söke district. Our study was carried out using the qualitative research method. At first, pilot interviews were conducted with the interview forms prepared by us. Afterwards, necessary arrangements were made and data were collected by interviewing the participants. In addition, the expression that elderly individuals who are in financial difficulties applied first to the "State Institution" as a solution was one of the most frequently used expressions. KEY WORDS: Social Policy, Social Aid, Aging, Poverty, Political Attitude, Political Preference, Political Perception.