In 1960?2006 period in Turkey internal migration and the changes of demographic structure an influence on inter-regional convergence

Turkey?s economy has witnessed effects of the industrialization strategy that it has changed as from 1950 initially with spread of the internal migration. After more inward-oriented, import-substitution industrialization strategy aimed at self-sufficiency had been turned into a partially liberation- and export-oriented industrialization strategy following the year 1950, the employment especially needed by the industry section started to be provided from the agricultural section after a while. This situation is evaluated as an element which not only provides the industry with labor flow, but also displays the difference of east and west in all other development indicators. Within this framework, we again face the internal migration as an important problem following 1960s, which is defined as the planned era with establishment of the DPT in 1962 and in which serious development plans started to be made. As part of this, the point to be initially analyzed is the question whether the power theories have been capable of explaining conditions of Turkey at that time, while such a change in the industrialization strategy was providing labor flow from the agricultural sector to urban sector. Afterwards, an opening about whether the internal migration is a problem which should be evaluated only as part of the industrialization strategy is discussed through an analysis on how the urban growth was restructured under the impact of internal migration.The oil crises which have occurred in 1974 -1978 in the world conjuncture caused the developing countries such as Turkey to face a grave problem about international payments. We have been facing the fact that certain restructurings which should be carried out by developing countries as part of the Structural Adjustment Programs (YUP) suggested by the Bretoon-Woods Institutions in order to avoid this situation have changed the dimensions of internal migration due to the impacts created by opening abroad policies on income distribution in Turkey?s economy in the post -1980 era. In addition to these changes and dynamics which have occurred in the post -1980 era, the impact of such incidents as terrorism and violence particularly in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia regions on the internal migration are also unavoidable. The demographic structure of these regions doesn?t differ from those of Western regions considerably. The internal migration is often considered as a new way in these regions, where rough birthrates, infant mortality rates and unemployment rates are higher than the rate of people who are employed in the higher services sector. Besides the migration from rural areas towards cities, the migration out of the region is also common within these regions. The migration causes the establishment of new working and employment areas as well. Within this framework, the newly migrated labor which is unemployable in the urban formal sector and which is often unqualified causes further growth in the urban informal sector. Furthermore, it requires the fulfillment of certain needs such as accommodation and transportation. The dilemma of whether the impact of the growth in working areas in the urban sector is a factor in the increase in internal migration, or the urban working areas have increased as a result of this shift of labor force is analyzed.It requires the evaluation of the 1960 -1980 and 1980 -2006 era as two separate situations, because Turkey?s economy has begun to take a more active role in its relations with such institutions as the IMF and the WB as a result of minor and medium crises that it has suffered after 1980 and the Structural Adjustment Problems which have been carried out in this respect were developed thanks to the support provided by these institutions.The question of whether the internal migration has witnessed a structural change following this era should be analyzed in line with the preliminary argument that the articles particularly related to the agricultural sector and covered by the Program for Transition to a Strong Economy (GEGP) which has been put into effect following the crisis of February 2001 have further deteriorated the income difference between the people employed in the agricultural sector and those employed in other sectors.It can be see that the difference of east-west emerges with different aspects in Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian provinces, where the agricultural labor is employed more intensively. The provinces in these regions are on bottom of lists both in income distribution rankings and in terms of their contribution to country's economy. Besides the lack of domestic and foreign investment possibilities, the underdeveloped characteristic in terms of benefiting from educational and health services, which are known as general development indicators, is apparent in these regions. As part of this, it shows that even the regional development practices have been unable to sufficiently prevent the internal migration from these regions.It brings up the question whether the YUPs, as well as industrialization strategies and regional development practices which have been carried out after 1980 have provided the internal migration and demographic structure with necessary or expected improvement, and analyzes the impact of these policies, which are allegedly aimed at removing the interregional income difference, on interregional convergence and the extent to which the YUPs have been successful in providing Turkey with interregional convergence.Keywords1.Turkey2.Internal Migration3.Convergence4. Demographic Structure and Employment