An analysis of internal migrations in terms of social policy in Turkey: A case study of sellers in the district markets in İstanbul

Although the reasons for and consequences of human migration havealways been diverse, it has nevertheless been experienced and observedthroughout the course of history. While motives for migration have usuallydepended on factors such as wars or natural disasters in the past,contemporary ones are mainly based on economy.Turkey, which has witnessed diverse kinds of migration throughout herdifferent historical periods, has also experienced immigration to foreigncountries in the last fifty years. While immigrations to Turkey are rathercategorized as compulsory immigrations related to race or religion,emigrations from Turkey are characterized as economy and employment-based.In the last fifty years, Turkey has also got acquainted with a differentkind of migration, namely, the phenomenon of internal migration. Internalmigrations in Turkey have not occurred in parallel with the process ofindustrialization but as a result of repelling living standards in rural areas andthe appeal of ample opportunities in urban areas. The advancements in masscommunication technologies and transportation have resulted in theaccumulation of a huge amount of population around urban areas. Individualswho migrated to urban areas have caused grave problems both in theirhometowns and in their new locales.Istanbul has always appealed to most of the internal migrants ofTurkey because of its developed structure. People who migrate to Istanbulare, like in many other cities of Turkey, generally unqualified and lesseducated. Therefore, these people usually work for lower wages in temporaryjobs without any social security service.Employment in district markets plays an important role both inTurkey?s and Istanbul?s labor market. District markets, which involve anintensive labor-based structure and tough working conditions, also constitutea field of widespread informal employment and undeclared economicactivities.The present study, which is based on the statistics on district marketworkers in Istanbul, aims to analyze and to determine to what extent migrantsin urban areas have been able to adapt themselves to urban life standardsand to the labor market.