It has become an urgent matter of debate that some parts of society are deprived of the benefits of the world.

These days we need to protect the rich. They are kind of an endangered species now. Their number has been decreasing gradually around the world, although their wealth has been increasing. Wealth now is accumulated in the hands of fewer individuals. We are living in a world where the number of those who live in material deprivation is increasing compared to those who do not. On top of this, everyone, starting with Obama, has embarked on a rich hunt. Signs of the doomsday are all around: The US President said, as no soldier should be left behind in military operations, no one should be left behind alone in society. The main theme of the Davos meetings was income distribution. Rich people convened to discuss measures to protect the rich. It became a popular matter of debate that all parts of society are not benefitting equally from the fruits of the modern era, and that some parts of society are deprived of the benefits of the world. So, today let me assess the current picture from this perspective and put an emphasis on the circumstances in Turkey.

This was not the case some time ago. The “We are the 99 percent, they are the 1 percent” rhetoric has spread everywhere with the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) demonstrations. The slogan has become a hit. The OWS demonstrations have been quenched with violence, and are off the agenda for now. However, it appears that that slogan will set the content of the US elections. This is what I understood from president Obama’s speech the other day. We live in interesting times. 

Turkey also is a part of the world. Public opinion polls reveal a pressing demand for justice. This is related partially to the insolvent justice system and partially to social justice directly. In fact, some figures about Turkey appear to be better than those about the US at first glance, but only by a short margin. Currently in the US, the income share of the richest 20 percent is bigger than that of the remaining 80 percent, meaning that the richest 20 percent get more than 50 percent of the total national income of the country. This is not the case  in Turkey. The remaining 80 percent get a higher share than the richest 20 percent. However, only slightly higher: the share of the top 20 percent is around 46 percent. What can we conclude? We can say that the balances will be broken soon. And now the bottom 20 percent: The situation is more like that in the US for the bottom 20 percent, which in both Turkey and the US has 5 percent of the total national income. When it comes to the bottom, it’s the same when compared to the US.

TURKSTAT publishes data on poverty and income distribution. According to this, only 36 percent of the population does not suffer from any material deprivation, which refers to severe financial deficiency. Households which cannot afford to buy five of the nine items are defined to be in material deprivation. According to this, 44 percent of the population lives in non-insulated houses and suffers heating problems. Sixty-one percent cannot repay debts or loan installments. Eighty-eight percent cannot afford a one-week vacation away from home.  Sixty-two percent use old, worn out furniture as they cannot afford new. Forty-three percent live in homes with leaking roofs, humid walls and old doors and frames as the cost of repair and replacement are too great to afford. These are the results from the 2009 and 2010 surveys. In both of the surveys, the ratio of those who are in material deprivation was higher than those who were not. The social demand for justice is a grounded one, in this regard.

We live in interesting times. The belief that it is important to protect the poor and to no longer tolerate leaving people behind is growing. The crisis at the center is kind of social-democratizing the plans and projects of the center. I am wondering how the European crisis will be handled in this climate. How will the social protection network of Europe change? Or will this anti-rich rhetoric prolong the crisis in Europe?

This commentary was published in Radikal daily on 27.01.2012