Turkey

According to the participants in Ankara, poverty is the lack of sufficient resources or income to afford a minimum standard of living. Additionally, poverty represents a moral problem in the society. Religious belief, alone, does not resolve poverty. Some of the causes of poverty are attributed to the government’s misuse of the state resources, the unjust distribution of income, irresponsibility and insensitivity towards the needs of the poor, an unfair taxation system, and a pervasive tax evasion. Women and girls experience poverty differently from men and boys due to their lack of access to education and employment, a patriarchal societal structure that suppresses girls and women, and sexual abuse in the workplace. Participants stated that the government’s efforts to eradicate poverty are not enough, and that governmental agencies’ actions seem to be aimed at serving only certain sections of society instead of ensuring economical justice for all.

The government, employers and society as a whole are perceived to share responsibility for finding solutions to eradicate poverty. Important solutions in the fight against poverty are: increasing the government’s social responsibility, providing more vocational and professional education and increasing the quality of education. Human rights include the right to live a normal life, the right to freedom of belief and thought, the right to employment, the right to health services and the right to education.

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