The problem of poverty in Turkey: An econometric approach

Poverty phenomenon in a country can be addressed when, in that country, the individuals are not able to meet their most basic physical needs, to maintain the goods and services and revenue sources necessary to meet their needs and to survive or when the individuals? living standards are below the society?s overall living standards. In recent years poverty phenomenon is taking the first place among the most important issues throughout the world. The gradually broadening poverty process has become a threat to all countries in the world and the first problem to be solved or to be prevented.In Turkey, as a country in the category of developing countries and in the group of middle-income countries, although an extreme poverty situation has not been observed, poverty exists as an important issue. Turkey is one of the countries experiencing poverty issue which is affecting entire world seriously especially since 1980s. However studies aiming to determine the dimensions of poverty in Turkey are limited. Because the current literature has not yet prospered, this study can be remarked as important for as much as making a contribution to the literature and also being a guiding reference for those whom would like to study on poverty.In this study, in order to display the overall welfare and living standards of households in Turkey and, depending on this, to determine the risks of poverty, analysis were conducted which determine the position of the household among others using revenues and consumption expenditures formed by living standards in respect of the relative poverty threshold. In the study determinants of poverty in Turkey were tried to be displayed, the factors affecting the living standards and poverty status of households were determined, possibilities of poverty were estimated, and dimensions of poverty in light of various indicators were argued. In Turkey, no other study was encountered related to chronic and transient poverty rates. As for in this study a new approach (vulnerability to poverty) for Turkey regarding to the measurement of chronic and transient poverty rates was generated and chronic and transient poverty rates in Turkey with respect to various criteria were tried to be measured.