Poverty has gripped the country

Mustafa Bildircin

The AKP’s economic policy has driven millions of households into poverty.

In Turkey, where income inequality is deepening, whilst a segment described as ‘a handful of elites close to the ruling party’ has been accumulating ever greater wealth, millions of citizens have been reduced to a state where they cannot even meet their most basic needs.

The Ministry of Family and Social Services’ social assistance report for the first half of this year also revealed that millions of citizens in Turkey are only able to sustain their lives through social assistance.

The number of ‘extremely poor’ households in the country was also laid bare by the Ministry’s latest data dated 12 August 2026. It was stated that, under the Turkey Family Support Programme—launched in 2022 with the aim of “rescuing citizens living below the extreme poverty line”—11.2 million households had been reached between 2017 and the first half of 2026.

DILAPIDATED HOMES

The number of homes identified as being so old, dilapidated and unfit for habitation that they are uninhabitable has also brought to light the extent of deep poverty in Turkey. It was stated that in surveys carried out during the first six months of this year, 16,077 homes in which people were living were flagged as being “so old, dilapidated and unfit for habitation that they are uninhabitable”. It was reported that 360.9 million TL was allocated for the repair, furnishings and rent of these old homes.

According to the Ministry’s data, during the January–June 2026 period, millions of households were only able to pay their electricity and natural gas bills with the help of social assistance. In the first half of 2026, electricity consumption support was provided to 1,892,784 households, whilst natural gas consumption support was provided to 606,890 households.

MILLIONS IN GENERAL HEALTH INSURANCE DEBT

Ministry data also revealed that the number of people unable to pay their General Health Insurance (GSS) contribution debts – a nightmare for unemployed and non-working citizens – exceeded 8 million during the January–June 2026 period. It was found that the number of people unable to pay their GSS contributions due to a lack of financial means, whose contribution debts were covered by the Ministry of Family, stood at 8,130,283.

Note: This article is translated from the original article titled Yoksulluk ülkeyi sardı, published in BirGün newspaper on August 13, 2026.