One Third of Turks are Poor or Needy

Nearly one-third of Turkish people, 23.6 million, are poor or needy and more than 6.3 million people from 2.1 million households are receiving social assistance. Citing the 2012 social assistance statistics released by the Family and Social Policies Ministry Hürriyet Daily News (HDN) went on to report:

However, poverty rates decreased in 2009 in comparison to 2002 numbers, said the report. The ministry's data said: Hunger poverty decreased to 0.48 percent in 2009 from 1.35 percent in 2002. The report listed no one in hunger poverty in 2010 and 2011. Those living on under 1 dollar a day totaled 0.01 percent in 2005 and the report cited no one in this category since that year.

The country's population reached 75.6 million in 2012, according to data released by the Turkey 's statistical authority, TÜIK.

More women benefit from social assistances, totaling 70 percent, according to the data.
The budget allocated to social assistance and services increased to 19.5 million liras in 2012 from 1.3 million liras in 2002, said the report. The Health Ministry allocated 5.1 million liras to social assistance.

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The numbers for women in employment are around 20-25% and there are few opportunities for women to progress beyond this. Social assistance to women and the poor has increased significantly since the AK party came in to power, however the root causes of poverty remain unaddressed whilst votes are gleaned in large numbers from a dependent populace willing to trade individual and collective liberties in favour of bread, locking the poor into loyal servitude.