The Republic of Turkey, has not been able to stabilize its political and social structure since its foundation. Each election period has a turbulent past, with two coups1 and six coup attempts.2 Turkey, founded by Atatürk from the remnants of the Ottoman Empire, aimed to become a western, secular and modern society. Now Turkey is facing with a crucial fact that 100 years ago, Turkey was a more secular and secular society than today, and the economic conditions were better. The middle-aged generation, who had a modern and quality education with the education reforms made in the Atatürk period, is looking for ways to go to countries that want qualified citizen labor, saying that they cannot see their talents worth in their country and that even living an average life is a dream for them. Brain Drain refers to the immigration of individuals who have received advanced training at home. In this paper, I will briefly describe the Turkey’s political situation, and will examine the circumstances chronologically which caused the immigration of the skilled labor.
End of Laicism and Democracy (2001- )
In 2000, because of the economic crisis created by the Ecevit3 era, there were a society in which a government could not be formed due to coalition disagreements, terror was on the rise, and it was exposed to oppressive regimes under the name of Kemalism, and to chambers of persuasion4 under the name of secularism in social life. The people wanted freedom and found hope in the liberal views of the Justice and Development Party. The Justice and Development Party was founded under the presidency of Recep Tayyip Erdoğ an in August 2001 and came to power with 34% of the votes in the 2002 elections and has been in power alone in five of the six general elections (2002, 2007, 2011, 2015 and 2018) it has participated in since its foundation. The Presidential System referendum held in 2017 and accepted with 51,41% of votes. Recep Tayyip Erdoğ an’s jurisdiction increased considerably, in the history of the republic; Erdogan is the first President to have the same authority as Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. JDP5 stated that its political line in its establishment was conservative democracy and came to power with western discourses such as human rights and freedom of expression.6 But that never happened and remembered us that before coming into power, in 1994, Erdogan signaled that he would plan strategically the way for culture wars with the words: “People cannot be both secular and Muslim7”. While liberalization is expected in freedom of expression and media content, an oppressive and censoring policy had been implemented by the time. JDP had a more moderate and liberal period between 2002 and 2007, and started to create its own media as of 2007, and begun to implement original media policies completely between 2008 and 2013.8 After 2013, it turned into an oppressive and authoritarian structure. 2013 was an important year and had become an important turning point also for the polarization of society9 and give birth to the emigration of secular citizens.
Gezi Movement (2013)
In 28 May 2013, government announced that the trees inside the Taksim Gezi Park will be cut down in order to build a shopping mall. Group of young environmental activist, gathered at the park to protest the decision. The protests, grew with the harsh and violent interventions of the state police and evolved into anti-government propaganda. Secular educated people, dissidents were already uncomfortable with the JDP’s repressive policies and restrictions on freedom of thought and expression.The protests soon spread to the whole country and became a symbol to protest JDP’s aggressive and undemocratic regime. In addition to the 11 deaths and over 8,000 injuries, more than 3,000 arrests were made.10 The government declared the secular people the enemy and targeted them as drunkards and looters. The Republic of Turkey has been governed by the JDP11 government since 2000. The government established a fascist order fed by political Islam, contrary to the liberal election promises. They hold the dominance of media, one of the most important political power and trying to establish a conservative lifestyles by modifying the media content. It also restricts productions that don’t fit the conservative lifestyle and exposes them to heavy fines. There also a secular group exist and contradicts those political policies. According to the research “The Great Brain Drain Caused by the AKP” prepared by the CHP Science Platform, the citizens immigrating abroad has increased by 63 percent in one year, the age range of those who have migrated is 20–34, and quali@ied manpower and business people have migrated. It was stated that the loss experienced by Turkey due to this reason was 220 billion TL.12 This research and founding, served with titles as “JDP Wants Gezi Generation to Migrate” on media platforms.
Refugees : Syrian, Afghan & Paki Immigrants in Turkey (2011- )
The people of Syria, Afghanistan and Pakistan are suffering from muslim terrorist groups, fascist leaders, poverty for a long time. Turkey is a suitable country and has its own advantages for refugees. It is a modern-muslim country with European lifestyle. Unfortunately most of refugees see Turkey as a bridge to Europe with illegal ways. To prevent this “irregular migration”, the “18 March Agreement” signed in 2016 between Turkey and the European Union. Within the scope of the agreement, the EU would provide 6 billion euros of financial aid to Turkey on the condition that it keeps irregular migrants who want to go to Europe via Greece in the country. The EU’s promises included accelerating Turkey’s membership to the union, updating the Customs Union and introducing visa exemption. However, the parties accuse each other of not ful@illing the requirements of the agreement signed after the EU countries do not want immigrants in their territories. While Turkey says that what has been promised to it has not been ful@illed, the European Union criticizes Turkey for not facilitating the return of asylum seekers who crossed to Greece to Turkey, and argues that it does not provide the necessary information on whether the aid provided has reached its destination. In 2021, the agreement has completed its @ifth year and Erdogan, far from being a diplomatic leader, threatened EU with opening the doors of Edirne, bridge between Turkey and Greece. Minister Soylu made a statement on his social media account, “As of 19.40, the number of immigrants leaving our country via Edirne; 100,577”. According to the United Nations (UN) data, in 2015, when the in@lux of immigrants to Europe peaked, 856 thousand 723 people crossed over the Aegean islands, while this number decreased to 9 thousand 714 in 2020. As of April 21, 2022, the number of registered Syrians under temporary protection status in Turkey increased by 7 thousand 794 compared to the previous month and reached a total of 3 million 762 thousand 385 persons. The number of Syrians has increased by 25 thousand 16 people since the beginning of the year.13 In the statement made by the Minister Soylu on May 20, 2022, it was stated that the number of Syrians returning to their country is 502 thousand. He stated that the number of Syrian babies born in Turkey is around 450 thousand14 and 113,654 Syrians have the right to vote in case of a possible election. Within all these diplomatic crisis, refugees had problem to implementation of society. Turkey become the country of ‘refugees’. Turkey is an interesting country when it comes to immigration. It is positioned in the middle of Asia and Europe, very fragile balances determine Turkey’s position. In recent years; rich, educated, intellectual people from Turkey, thinking that Turkey is an ‘unlivable’ and ‘unbearable’ place; They want to immigrate to USA, UK and European Countries and establish their lives there. At the same time, refugees who have been subjected to great destruction and persecution in their countries think of Turkey as a developed country suitable for starting a new life and are fighting for rights such as citizenship and residence permit. When the situation in their country improves, they prefer to maintain the ‘high standard of living’ in Turkey instead of returning. Refugees from Muslim countries point to a different policy in Turkey. Turkey is already divided into religious and secular segments, and these two groups often clash. Half of the people follows Atatü rk’s principles and turns their way to the west and to secular life. They have been suppressed by conservative other half. While taxes on alcohol and cigarettes are increasing15 every day, art and artists are suppressed, and music bans16 are announced, people of Turkey are dominating and separating from their secular lifestyles and freedoms. The rapid spread and mixing of Muslim refugees in a country with such a fragile Muslim- Secular balance raises political questions.
Immigrant Youth: Inflation, Unemployment, Losing Hope for the Future
In recent years, tens of thousands of young people in Turkey are looking for opportunities to work or study abroad. Many reasons, such as anxiety of future, feeling insecure, economic in@lation, banned freedom of expression, causes the action of young people leaving Turkey and establish a life abroad. The deputy and academic Sibel Ok zdemir, describes this situation as:
’’After 2010, we are faced with a very serious brain drain problem and reality. There are a lot of factors behind this problem. We see a serious group of young people going to better living conditions and safer work environments, especially in European countries. What is very worrying is that the age group with a brain drain is falling almost every day. We see that children in high school and sometimes secondary school age tend to other countries for better quality education and employment.’’17
These are also reflected in the data of TUIK.18 According to the international migration statistics for 2019, announced by TURKSTAT in July 2020, 50 thousand 151 of the 330 thousand 289 people who went abroad are in the 25–29 age group. 12.6% of this age group is between the ages of 20–24 and 13% between the ages of 30–34. Turkey is faced with a serious immigration of under the age of 35. Many scientists come back to our country when they had increased their professional experience and language experience in different countries. In the past, the aim was to be useful when they’re coming back and educate the people and develop Turkey. But unfortunately, for the several years the reason why people go abroad is the lack of welfare and secure life in Turkey. In 2019, The American New York Times made a report on the subject of “Spurning Erdogan’s Vision, Turks Leave in Droves, Draining Money and Talent”19, reached record numbers. The newspaper cited “nepotism and increasing authoritarianism” as the main reasons for migration. It was also stated in the news that “For the first time since the establishment of the country, upper-class families who steered the culture and business life left Turkey.” It was also recorded that many people used the migration route by buying property from Greece, Portugal and Spain. The NYT’s news also included the data of the Global Wealth Migration Review on Turkey. Accordingly, between 2016 and 2017, at least 12 thousand dollars millionaires, which corresponds to 12 percent of Turkey’s wealthy slice, transferred their wealth abroad. In the first table shown, we see the proportion of people who want to live abroad by age group. In the second table, we see the answers given to the question ‘Would you like to live abroad if you had the opportunity?’ according to their educational status.20
‘Let Them Leave’
While the average salary of doctors is 13 thousand TL, house rents are 10 thousand TL and car prices are 600.000 TL currently in Turkey; Doctors made a protest because of their low salary and hard working conditions.21 Protest from social media grown with the public support and Erdogan made an of@icial statement. President of the Republic of Turkey, young people, trained doctors, engineers; Erdogan preferred to say “Let them go if they go” instead of “What should we do so that you don’t go”. According to GazeteDuvar Newspaper, the number of physicians applying to go abroad has increased 24 times in 10 years.22 While only 59 doctors applied to move abroad in 2012, this number exceeded 1,200 in the first 11 months of 2021 and reached 1,400 as of last December. On the other hand, public opinion surveys reveal that approximately 8 thousand medical students want to establish their lives in European countries after graduation. Here is an example tweet from Dr. Kaan Yılancıoğ lu summarizes this chapter: ‘With this in;lation, brain drain is inevitable, as the migration increases, value-added production will decrease and we will suffer a deeper economic wound. The trained workforce needs a serious salary adjustment. No one can stand with one-;ifth of the inflation in this country. Purchasing power is over😔 #economist#minimum’23
Conclusion The reasons such as the dif@icult living conditions in Turkey, the economic crisis, the increasing violence, the feeling of not being safe among the citizens, the lack of trust in the judiciary and democracy, and the loss of hope for the future have led especially well- educated, secular, democratic people to migrate to other countries. Turkey is currently losing its human capital, experts, skilled labor. Turkish people are migrating to European countries, USA, Abu Dhabi and Dubai hoping to live in humanized conditions. Many experts think that the young people who left the country with a brain drain will return to the country with the change of power after the 2023 election.
1 (27 May 1960 Coup, 12 September 1980 Coup)
2 (21 October 1961, 22 February 1962, 20 May 1963, 20 May 1969, 9 March 1971, 15 July 2016).
3 Bülent Ecevit, served as the Prime Minister of Turkey four Nmes between 1974 and 2002
4These are the chambers that can be used to determine or change a person’s mind about doing something, not doing something, etc. for all kinds of purposes. Established by N. Serter and Alemdaroğlu, aVer the 1997 post-modern coup in Turkey, to persuade female students of Istanbul University to take off their headscarves, which have become a religious symbol in public spaces.
5 JusNce and Development Party , (TR) AKP 6 All General ElecNon ProclamaNons of JusNce and Development Party: h`ps://www.akparN.org.tr/parN/ dosya-arsivi/ 7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG9O3dDsxNY 8 Ayan, Vahdet Mesut. AKP Devrinde Medya Âlemi. YORDAM KİTAP, 2019.
9 explained in chapter 1.3 : Culture Wars
10 https://odatv4.com/guncel/kac-kisi-eylemlere-katildi-1409131200-44117 11 JusNce and Development Party. President: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 12 h`ps://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/113-bin-beyin-gocu-gezi-kusagi-gii-1149805
13 h`ps://multeciler.org.tr/turkiyedeki-suriyeli-sayisi/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwhLKUBhDiARIsAMaTLnHd3du- HGLK7ou5ArgRMxj3TSudqqjBs1WT6QgTkaqrIvefJ0KuAQaApAAEALw_wcB 14 2019 h`ps://multeciler.org.tr/turkiyedeki-suriyeli-sayisi/
15 h`ps://www.dw.com/tr/sigara-ve-içkilerde-ötvye-zam-geldi/a-61946996
16 h`ps://www.birgun.net/haber/muzik-yasagi-danistay-a-tasindi-390685 17 Sibel Özdemir, CHP Istanbul Deputy h`ps://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/gencler-ulkeden-gidiyor-hayat-pahaliligi- beyin-gocunu-teNkliyor-haber-1565361 18 h`ps://www.tuik.gov.tr/Direct
19 h`ps://www.nyNmes.com/2019/01/02/world/europe/turkey-emigraNon-erdogan.html
20 h`ps://turkiyeraporu.com/arasNrma/trkiyeningockarnesi-1768/ 21 h`ps://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/uzman-doktor-maasini-paylasN-isyan-ei-reva-gorulen-bu-mu-1845214
22 h`ps://www.gazeteduvar.com.tr/hekim-gocu-10-yilda-24-kat-ari-doktorlar-kaciyor-bakanlik-izliyor- haber-1551026 23 h`ps://mobile.twi`er.com/drkaanyl/status/1533848246116057088
