An Evaluation of the Impact of Terrorism on Socioeconomic Indicators in TRB and TRC Regions
Anahtar Kelimeler:
Terör, TRB ve TRC Bölgeleri, İşsizlik, Yoksulluk, GöçÖzet
This study analyzes the effects of long-standing terrorist incidents on regional socioeconomic development in Turkey’s TRB and TRC level-2 regions. The study’s main objective is to reveal the structural impact of terrorist incidents on fundamental socioeconomic indicators such as per capita income, unemployment rates, poverty level, and internal migration mobility. The study utilizes data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat) covering the period between 2005 and 2023, and graphical analysis methods support the findings. The findings are compared with similar studies in the literature and presented in a more comprehensive framework.
The results of the study show that terrorist incidents not only cause direct physical and economic losses but also seriously disrupt long-term development goals. The observed declines in per capita income levels reveal that economic growth in the regions has been destabilized. At the same time, rising unemployment rates point to severe disruptions in the participation of the productive population in economic life. On the other hand, the negative impact of terrorism-induced security risks on the investment climate has weakened private sector entrepreneurship. In contrast, public investments have been directed primarily towards security-oriented expenditures. This has led to a decline in economic activities specific to the region, such as agriculture and animal husbandry, and paved the way for poverty to become a permanent problem at the regional level.
The study also emphasizes that the indirect effects of terrorist incidents are at least as significant as the direct effects. Increased internal migration mobility has caused a loss of human capital and changes in the demographic structure in the TRB and TRC regions. In particular, the young and productive population’s orientation towards labor markets in metropolitan cities has negatively affected the region’s long-term development potential. Considering the nature of the migrating population, the loss of an educated labor force has led to deepening inequalities in regional development, making the social and economic structure more fragile.
Keywords: Terrorism, TRB and TRC Regions, Unemployment, Poverty, Migration
Referanslar
Avşar, B. (2009). East and Southeast in the spiral of terror and migration. Erciyes Journal of Communication, 1(1).
Barkey, H. J., and Fuller, G. E. (1998). Turkey’s Kurdish Question. Rowman and Littlefield.
Beşe, E. (2002). Terrorism, the European Union, and Human Rights. Seçkin Publishing House.
Bilgel, F., and Karahasan, B. C. (2016). The economic costs of separatist Terrorism in Turkey. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 61(2), 457-479.
Blomberg, S. B., Hess, G. D., and Orphanides, A. (2004). The macroeconomic consequences of Terrorism. Journal of Monetary Economics, 51(5), 1007-1032.
Bozarslan, H. (2003). Kurdish Nationalism and Kurdish Movement (1898-2000). İletişim Publications.
Bulut, E., and Koca, M. (2015). Terrorism in Ireland. The Journal of International Social Research, 8(37), 545-556.
Caşın, M. H. (2008). International Terrorism. Nobel Publication Distribution.
Crisisgroup (2025). PKK Conflict in Turkey with Graphs and Maps. Accessed 02.02.202025. https://www.crisisgroup.org/tr/content/grafik-ve-haritalarla-turkiyedeki-pkk-catismasi
Cütcü, İ., and Akbaş, S. (2009). Terror and economy. Beta Publishing House.
Diler, İ., and Karabulut, A. (2022). Terrorism in Turkey and new approaches in the fight against Terrorism. Türkiye Araştırmaları Literatür Dergisi, 20(40), 35-60.
Dücan, E., and Özsoylu, A. F. (2016). Regional Analysis of Socioeconomic Causes of Terrorism in Turkey: Panel Data Analysis. Journal of Çukurova University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 20(2), 111-132.
Gaibulloev, K., and Sandler, T. (2008). Growth Consequences of Terrorism in Western Europe. Kyklos, 61(3), 411-424.
Güneş, M. E. (2013). The Mersin case in the relationship between internal migration and Terrorism. Journal of Academic Studies, 8(2), 275–302.
Gümüş, N. (2024). Terror-poverty relationship in the context of economic effects of Terrorism: Is Terrorism the cause or the consequence of poverty? Eurasian Journal of Social and Economic Research, 11(3), 364–384.
Gunter, M. M. (1990). The Kurds in Turkey: A Political Dilemma. Westview Press.
Hoffman, B. (2006). Inside terrorism (2nd ed.). Columbia University Press.
Jenkins, G. (2008). Context and Circumstance: The Turkish Military and Politics. Oxford University Press.
Jwaideh, W. (2006). The Kurdish National Movement: Its Origins and Development. Syracuse University Press.
Kaplan, E. A., and Dayıoğlu, M. R. (2017). The burden on the economy: Terror. International Journal of Social Research, 10(49), 622-636.
Kieser, H. L. (2006). Dersim 1938 and Forced Resettlement. İletişim Publications.
Kılıç, Z. (2007). International Terrorism Accelerated by Globalization and Measures Taken Against It (Unpublished master’s thesis). Süleyman Demirel University, Institute of Social Sciences.
Kızmaz, Z. (2006). Economic Factors as Important Determinants of Crime: A Sociological Perspective on the Relationship between Unemployment and Crime. Journal of Police Sciences, 8(1), 279–304.
Laqueur, W. (1999). The New Terrorism: Fanaticism and the Arms of Mass Destruction. Oxford University Press.
Marcus, A. (2007). Blood and Belief: The PKK and the Kurdish Fight for Independence. NYU Press.
McDowall, D. (2000). A Modern History of the Kurds. I.B. Tauris.
Michael, S. (2007). Terrorism: A socioeconomic and political phenomenon with special reference to Pakistan. IBT Journal of Business Studies, 3(1), 35–46.
Melander, E., and Öberg, M. (2006). Time to go? Duration dependence in forced migration. International Interactions, 32(2), 129-152.
Moore, W. H., and Shellman, S. M. (2004). Fear of persecution: Forced migration, 1952-1995. The Journal of Conflict Resolution, 48(5), 723-745.
Olson, R. (1989). The Emergence of Kurdish Nationalism and the Sheikh Said Rebellion, 1880-1925. University of Texas Press.
Özeren, S., Sözer, M. A., and Demirci, S. (2010). Militant Identity Profile in Terror Organizations: The Case of Hezbollah in Turkey. In M. Sever, H. Cinoğlu, and O. Başıbüyük (Eds.), Terörün Sosyal Psikolojisi. Police Academy Publications.
Öztürk, S., and Çelik, K. (2009). The effects of Terrorism on the Turkish economy. International Journal of Alanya Business Faculty, 1(2), 85-106.
Official Gazette. (2003, July 15). Law Amending the Anti-Terror Law (Law No. 4928, Article 20). https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2003/07/20030715.htm
Romano, D. (2006). The Kurdish Nationalist Movement: Opportunity, Mobilization and Identity. Cambridge University Press.
Rustemova, S. (2006). Global Terrorism (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Ankara University, Institute of Social Sciences.
Sandler, T., and Enders, W. (2003). Economic Consequences of Terrorism in Developed and Developing Countries: An Overview. School of International Relations, University of Southern California.
Topal, A. H. (2005). International Terrorism and the International Criminal Court. International Law and Politics, 1(3).
Urhal, Ö., and Acar, Ü. (2007). State security, intelligence, and terrorism. Adalet Yayınevi.
Ündücü, C. (2011). The Relationship Between the International System and Terrorism. Electronic Journal of Political Science Research, 2 (1). 1–20.
Watts, N. F. (2010). Activists in Office: Kurdish Politics and Protest in Turkey. University of Washington Press.
White, P. J. (2000). Primitive Rebels or Revolutionary Modernizers? The Kurdish National Movement in Turkey. Zed Books.
Wılkınson, P. (2006). Terrorism versus Democracy: The Liberal State Response, Routledge Press.
Yalcin-Heckmann, L. (1991). Tribe and Kinship Among the Kurds. Peter Lang Publishing.
Zürcher, E. J. (2004). Türkiye’nin Modernleşme Süreci. İletişim Publications.
İndir
Yayınlanmış
Nasıl Atıf Yapılır
Sayı
Bölüm
Lisans
Telif Hakkı (c) 2025 Meltem Ucgunoğlu Erarslan
Bu çalışma Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ile lisanslanmıştır.
