A few weeks before Ramadan, I met with my businessman friend, who works in the furniture business in the Netherlands, in Fatih. He started working there years ago, now he's his own boss. It provides employment to dozens of people in the furniture industry. He comes to Istanbul from time to time on the occasion of the fair. In our get-togethers, we talk about the political agenda and country issues.
On this occasion, we both remembered the old days and talked about the political agenda and country issues. When we met before the March 31, 2019 Local Administration Elections, he asked me about my election prediction. This time, he wondered about my views on the parliamentary election to be held on May 14, 2023.
“Master, your guess worked last time, what will be the election results?” he asked me.
My friend, looking at Turkey from the outside, cannot fully understand the difficulties we are experiencing. Since our political views are also different, I did not want to discuss it, I dismissed the issue and asked about the social life in the Netherlands and the state's support for the citizens.
My aim was to make it comparable to Turkey.
How does the state support citizens in finding a "house for rent" in the Netherlands? I asked him to explain how the state facilitates the life of citizens in the Netherlands, which is a European country, with a few questions such as whether it is left to the mercy of real estate agents and landlords as in Turkey.
According to what he told, a citizen who needs a rental house in the Netherlands applies. The state offered three alternative homes, taking into account the income level, workplace and school of the children. Of course, the state agrees with the landlord in advance. The tenant does not deal with the landlord. It is up to the tenant to sign the contract. The rent is, of course, adjusted in accordance with the budget of the citizen. Thus, the state-government solves the problem of rental houses themselves. The annual increase rate is also determined, according to which the tenant reaches his/her wish. In other words, he could not evacuate with at least two months' deposit, two months' advance rent, one-year contract, and excuses such as "my son is going to get married," in Turkey.
In the Netherlands, the state personally solves the problem of the citizen. Not only in the Netherlands, but also in Germany of course; in many other European countries as well.
In Turkey, on the other hand, "rental house" is one of the biggest problems. The fact that rent is perceived as a means of subsistence, the ruthlessness of some of the landlords, the fact that the housing stock is full after Turkey has taken the migration that would take 50 years in 5 years, and most importantly, the state/government does not intervene in the issue are major factors in the growth of this problem.
According to the official data published by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) on April 6, 2023, 739 thousand 364 people immigrated to Turkey from abroad in 2021. 21.8% of the immigrants are from Iraq, 6.7% from Afghanistan, 5.6% from Iran, 5.2% from Syria and 4.9% from Turkmenistan.
Our borders have collapsed, hundreds of thousands of people immigrate to Turkey every year. We received nearly 1 million immigrants in 2021 alone. If we continue to receive immigration at this rate, water resources will not be enough, agricultural lands and forests will be occupied by settlement, the country will become unbreathable. Unless this wave of migration is stopped, Türkiye will not prosper.
It seems that the locals are gasping for foreigners to emigrate. If the rent problem continues in this way, it will be impossible for the majority of the local people to live in Istanbul and big cities. Even in small cities and villages. I am saying it to explain the point where the rent problem has come. I am currently looking for a house to rent.
As I could not find a house suitable for my budget, "O Lord! Grant me a merciful host!” I pray. Surely there are hundreds of thousands of people who have this problem like me.
In short, the state in Europe solves the problem of the citizen. In Turkey, on the other hand, citizens have to solve all their problems by themselves. So what do the rulers of the state do? They continue their comfortable lives in official residences with the taxes of the citizens. That's the gist of it all.
When it comes to words, "Europe is jealous of us" is said, but when it comes to work, unfortunately, "We are jealous of Europe".
Europe is at an enviable level not because it is more civilized and more moral than we are, but because it has better rules and applies them equally to everyone, without bending them.
Let the irregularities in Turkey continue for a while in European countries, it will become unlivable. Uncompromisingly apply the rules in Europe in Turkey, the people of this country will turn into enviable people.
At this point, shelter, which is the most basic need in Turkey, has become one of the biggest problems. The problem continues to grow with the perception of rent as a means of livelihood, the ruthlessness of some of the landlords, and most importantly, the continuation of immigration from abroad.