A significant number of the people interviewed for this series had spent time abroad on different occasions before, but had always returned to Turkey at some point, often eagerly. This time, things seem different. Perhaps due to their expectations of what lies ahead in Turkey’s current outlook, many have emigrated without plans to return.
Işık, an academician, is one such example.
“I missed Turkey a lot when I was doing my master’s degree in England. Some of my Turkish peers at the time chose to stay abroad permanently, but I came back. Now my approach has changed. I applied to a lot of PhD programs and got accepted in Italy. I have realized that the lifestyle in Turkey is not for me. I am still afraid.”
Demet, who has been living in Vietnam for a while due to her husband’s job, shares a similar story: “While studying in England, we used to notice that many Lebanese people, regardless of religion or sect, never had any thought of returning to their country. Now, Turks have become like the Lebanese. So much so that those who graduated from the best high schools and universities of Turkey now always leave the country.”
“We were actually comfortable in Turkey, but…”
Arif, who is active in Turkey’s green movement, settled in Denmark a year ago with his wife, who moved there to do her doctorate. Describing his choice to leave Turkey, Arif describes the move as motivated not by financial factors so much as lifestyle: “Life in Turkey was easier for me, I didn’t have any problems in terms of income. But there was a stifling atmosphere.”
Most of the people interviewed admitted that they enjoyed an above-average life in Turkey, similar to Arif. Nevertheless, recent political, economic, and cultural changes in the country have led many in this cohort to leave the country due to a general feeling of ‘deterioration’ in all respects.
Çağıl, who has been teaching English for years and is preparing to settle in Australia due to her husband’s company, struck a sad tone when discussing the upcoming move: “We have no expectations anymore from Turkey; we are leaving for sure. There’s a lot that we are going to leave behind, but that’s the way it is. The 2018 elections were my worst nightmare, I came home crying. We live an isolated life.”
Another example is Nurhan, an industrial engineer who has settled in Austria: “I worked hard to get where I am, and I would like to be able to enjoy the benefits of my home country. But I have realized that especially as a woman, there is no value in staying.”
Vecdi, who has been living in the USA for six months working in the financial sector, said:
“It’s not that we had problems in our country, it’s that we roasted ourselves in our own oil, so to speak. Here, people are much more accessible than in Turkey. It’s good to take advantage of these opportunities. I feel sorry for Turkey.“
“I bought my dream car in six months”
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Editörlerimizin derlediği öngörüler, analizler, Türkiye’yi ve dünyayı şekillendiren haberler, Medyascope’un e-bülteni Andaç‘la her çarşamba mail kutunuzda.
Decreased purchasing power especially among the middle class in Turkey has been a major driver of emigration recently. Berk, a logistics specialist who settled in Germany 18 months ago, chose not to go abroad when he had the chance to in 2014. He explains his recent decision to leave as “80% social/political reasons”: “If the situation in Turkey were one that was solvable, such as the economic crisis in Greece a few years ago, I definitely would have stayed. But I left Istanbul angry and bitter. I came to Germany in search of peace and freedom. Also, there is three times more purchasing power here.”
Turgut, who settled in Australia through a language school, says, “There’s definitely 3, 7, 10 times the purchasing power here. But rental housing is also an issue here.”
Okan has been living with his wife, who works as a fashion designer, in Dubai for the past 18 months. He likens Dubai to “the south of the USA”, and summarizes his satisfaction as follows: “I didn’t trust myself in Turkey, I feel like I belong here. We can lead the lifestyle we want. We are open. In six months, I was able to buy the car of my dreams.”
Önder, a 26-year-old electrical engineer who settled in Germany in June, said, “My situation in Istanbul wasn’t bad. I owned a house. Here, I am a tenant. But I earn more and I am quite comfortable,” she says.
A vanishing middle class
This series has been assembled from the anecdotes of nearly 80 Turkish citizens who have recently emigrated abroad or plan to soon. In a way, it conveys the disappointments of a vanishing Turkish middle class. Many of these emigrants are children of modest families who have studied in good schools, chosen popular professions, but elected to move abroad often because they feel that they cannot fulfill their expectations and dreams by staying in Turkey. The anecdotes of these participants paint a picture of a displaced Turkish middle class.
So what exactly are these emigrants looking for? Of course, a better career, job, university etc. Of course, a more comfortable life. But beyond these more tangible points, they often seem to be seeking the following lifestyle factors: peace, security, freedom, predictability, and a stable life.
“I wish I could say that we had regrets”
Throughout the course of this series, participants were asked whether they regretted their choice to emigrate abroad and leave Turkey. ‘No’ was always their answer. To close, here are a few examples that convey the lack of regret felt by recent Turkish emigrants.
Çiğdem (Netherlands):“We left a lot behind. Our standard of living was decent. Our friends, our cultural activities… But no, we do not regret it.”
Ayşen (Netherlands):“I have no regrets, zero.”
Kayhan (Germany): “I wish I could say that we regretted it. With each passing year, we become more and more firm in our decision [not to go back].”
Many thanks to all who participated in this series. Here are the words of Tuğrul, a 43-year-old Boğaziçi University graduate who settled in Belgium with his family at the end of 2020:
“Thank God we never complained about our life in Istanbul. But everything got worse day by day. No one in our immediate circle has stayed. We were some of the last to go. We are very happy now. We have seen that another life is possible!”
