Turkish-Germans return home due to economic conditions
The grandchildren of Turkish workers who migrated to Germany in the 1960s are returning back to Turkey due to worsening economic conditions throughout Europe and the economic stability achieved in Turkey.
A total of 256,000 educated German-Turks have returned to Turkey between 2006 and 2012 due to the German economy experiencing turbulence at the beginning of the 2000s coupled with racist attacks against Turks and policies implemented by the German government encouraging Turks to migrate. While the German government began taking measures to compel Turks who are living under the poverty line to return back to Turkey, these measures actually backfired. Instead, educated and qualified young German-Turks began returning to Turkey instead of poor and impoverished German-Turks. Between 1961 and 2005, 3.2 million Turkish citizens returned to Turkey, and between 2006 and 2012, 256,000 settled in Turkey. While retired Turks who were forced to come back chose to settle in Turkey during the period until 2005, mostly the young and educated German-Turkish population started leaving Germany after 2006.
Research conducted by the Turkish European Education and Scientific Research Foundation (TAVAK) highlighted that this young German-Turkish population made Turkey their homeland, and their familiarity with Turkish culture and the good economic conditions in Turkey were the main reasons they made their decision. TAVAK Chairman Faruk Şen said the study revealed that most of the returnees are relatively satisfied with their decision to return and that, as they are educated, they increase investment in Turkey.
Şen stressed that one of the reasons behind the increase in investment in the real estate sector was European Turks returning to Turkey. "European Turks purchased 38,000 properties in 2010 in the provinces of Istanbul, Bodrum, Antalya and İzmir. In 2013, 37,000 European Turks purchased properties, and there was an increase in property purchased in 2014, with numbers rising to 41,000," Şen said, adding that they are expecting this figure to remain at around 40,000 for 2015. Şen underscored that the main reason for such an increase is that Turks in Germany are using their savings to purchase property in Turkey.
TAVAK conducted the study by surveying 970 returnees. A total of 41 percent of the subjects are university graduates while 13.5 percent are graduates of vocational high schools. Şen said the education level of the returnees is constantly increasing and that while 48 percent of the returnees chose to settle in Istanbul, 5 percent chose İzmir and Bursa, 4 percent chose Ankara and the remaining 34.5 percent chose other cities. "[A total of] 17.5 percent of the returnees are currently employed in the service sector, 10.5 percent in the healthcare sector and 8 percent in the IT sector, all of which require university-level education. The Turks in these professions actually receive a very high level of education in Germany," Şen added.
Şen also underscored that around 160,000 Turkish entrepreneurs within the EU do not actually have social insurance in the countries in which they reside, and many European retirement companies are not willing to pay retirement allowances to Turks - which is yet another reason why certain entrepreneurs prefer the individual pension funds in Turkey. Şen said the individual pension companies in Turkey are offering products and packages catered to Turks residing in Europe. Furthermore, the low retirement pensions in Europe are attracting the Turkish social insurance system and also individual retirement packages.
A total of 256,000 educated German-Turks have returned to Turkey between 2006 and 2012 due to the German economy experiencing turbulence at the beginning of the 2000s coupled with racist attacks against Turks and policies implemented by the German government encouraging Turks to migrate. While the German government began taking measures to compel Turks who are living under the poverty line to return back to Turkey, these measures actually backfired. Instead, educated and qualified young German-Turks began returning to Turkey instead of poor and impoverished German-Turks. Between 1961 and 2005, 3.2 million Turkish citizens returned to Turkey, and between 2006 and 2012, 256,000 settled in Turkey. While retired Turks who were forced to come back chose to settle in Turkey during the period until 2005, mostly the young and educated German-Turkish population started leaving Germany after 2006.
Research conducted by the Turkish European Education and Scientific Research Foundation (TAVAK) highlighted that this young German-Turkish population made Turkey their homeland, and their familiarity with Turkish culture and the good economic conditions in Turkey were the main reasons they made their decision. TAVAK Chairman Faruk Şen said the study revealed that most of the returnees are relatively satisfied with their decision to return and that, as they are educated, they increase investment in Turkey.
Şen stressed that one of the reasons behind the increase in investment in the real estate sector was European Turks returning to Turkey. "European Turks purchased 38,000 properties in 2010 in the provinces of Istanbul, Bodrum, Antalya and İzmir. In 2013, 37,000 European Turks purchased properties, and there was an increase in property purchased in 2014, with numbers rising to 41,000," Şen said, adding that they are expecting this figure to remain at around 40,000 for 2015. Şen underscored that the main reason for such an increase is that Turks in Germany are using their savings to purchase property in Turkey.
TAVAK conducted the study by surveying 970 returnees. A total of 41 percent of the subjects are university graduates while 13.5 percent are graduates of vocational high schools. Şen said the education level of the returnees is constantly increasing and that while 48 percent of the returnees chose to settle in Istanbul, 5 percent chose İzmir and Bursa, 4 percent chose Ankara and the remaining 34.5 percent chose other cities. "[A total of] 17.5 percent of the returnees are currently employed in the service sector, 10.5 percent in the healthcare sector and 8 percent in the IT sector, all of which require university-level education. The Turks in these professions actually receive a very high level of education in Germany," Şen added.
Şen also underscored that around 160,000 Turkish entrepreneurs within the EU do not actually have social insurance in the countries in which they reside, and many European retirement companies are not willing to pay retirement allowances to Turks - which is yet another reason why certain entrepreneurs prefer the individual pension funds in Turkey. Şen said the individual pension companies in Turkey are offering products and packages catered to Turks residing in Europe. Furthermore, the low retirement pensions in Europe are attracting the Turkish social insurance system and also individual retirement packages.
Last Update: September 29, 2015 20:17