Can Migration from East to West Be Reversed?

Migration Is Not Only the East's Problem, It Is Also the West's Burden! It Is Possible to Reverse Migration from East to West with a Few Bold Steps!

We can summarise the root causes of people migrating from one place to another throughout history as follows:

Economic Differences; people migrate from low-wage areas (city, region, country, continent) to high-wage areas. The search for better jobs, income and living standards is the strongest driving force behind migration.

Employment Opportunities; there has always been a tendency to move from places with high unemployment rates and weak economic growth to places with more job opportunities.

Security and Violence; escape from war, internal conflict, oppression, human rights violations and persecution is the main reason for refugee migration in particular.

Social Networks: Migrant networks, relatives and fellow countrymen facilitate migration; they provide accommodation, work and integration support to newcomers.

In summary, people migrate because they want a better life, security and future. The root causes are economic inequality, unemployment, security and the search for opportunities.

Migration is one of the oldest and most brutal realities of Turkey and the Turkish people; Migration from East to West...

The East is constantly losing its young population, its hope, and its most valuable minds and craftsmen, i.e., its working people. The West, meanwhile, is crushed under the burden of this migration, while those forced to leave their homeland experience a sense of alienation in the West. In fact, both the east and west of the country are becoming increasingly unhappy. Is it possible to break this vicious cycle and make the east of our country a centre of attraction? I will answer immediately: yes, it is possible.

A few months ago, I had a conversation with a young man in Diyarbakır, in the organised industrial zone. He was a computer engineer who had just graduated from university and was applying to some companies for work, but he told me, ‘There aren't many jobs suitable for my profession here. I'll look for work in Istanbul, Kocaeli, Bursa and Izmir, so I'll have to migrate to the west.’ His voice conveyed both hope and disappointment. The hope was the possibility of making a life for himself in the west, the disappointment was that he couldn't see a future for himself in the city where he was born and raised. This is how Turkey's biggest migration story began: From east to west, in search of work, sustenance and hope...

We have been experiencing this scenario for years, for several generations. Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Kocaeli, Bursa... While these cities are drowning in crowds, the cities of the east are losing their young population. Life in the west is becoming more expensive, rents are rising, traffic and unemployment are worsening; in the east, fields lie fallow, shops close, streets are deserted...

If a young person from Istanbul wants to go to Düsseldorf, Berlin, Paris or London, a young person from Mardin wants to go to Istanbul, Izmir, Kocaeli or Bursa for the same reasons... For a better life, a better future...

So, how can a better life, a better future be achieved? By working in a better job, earning more, living in a better house, living in a better city, driving a better car, taking better holidays, etc.

But I always ask myself this question: ‘Can this trend be reversed?’

Yes; the migration from the east to the west of Turkey has been a reality for years. The influx of young people to big cities in search of work, education and better living conditions leaves the eastern provinces virtually empty. So, is it not possible to reverse this trend and revive those ancient lands? Of course it is possible. For this, we need only one thing: ‘A permanent and strategic vision and a permanent, continuous and persistent programme to bring this vision to life.’

The most important step in this vision is to diversify economic opportunities. Instead of concentrating industrial investments only in the large cities in the west and centre, we must spread them across Anatolia with incentives. Yes, there are some incentives, but if they are not working as desired, the dosage of these incentives should be increased to levels where they will be effective.

Intelligent investments in sectors with high regional potential, such as food, agriculture, livestock, textiles, energy, and mining, will increase local employment and keep young people in their hometowns. Agricultural development will play a critical role at this point. The widespread adoption of modern agricultural techniques, the promotion of organic farming and geographically indicated products, and the support of livestock farming will make the fertile lands of the east attractive again.

Opening up the East to the world through transport and connectivity...Transport infrastructure is key to unlocking the East's potential. Eastern provinces must be integrated into both domestic and international trade through an efficient rail and road network for industrial freight, high-speed rail networks for passenger transport, modern airports and logistics centres. For example, railway lines extending from Kars to Europe could transform the region into a global logistics hub. As connectivity strengthens, the East will become an attractive centre for living and working.

There are also beautiful but very insufficient examples of this, namely industrial development; for example, hundreds of factories in the organised industrial zone of Gaziantep produce not only for the region but for the whole of Turkey and export to many countries. As a result of the GAP Project, agriculture and agriculture-based industry are growing in Urfa, and Van has begun to revive with border trade with Iran. The oil wells opened in the Şırnak region and the possibility of even more productive oil fields are changing the face of this province and its surroundings. With the right development policies, the east can be not only a source of migration but also a destination for migration. Why shouldn't a young person from Kocaeli go to Şırnak, migrate to a more modern city for a better job and livelihood?

So what is needed? Well, first and foremost, jobs and production. People stay where they can put bread in their pockets. If investments that combine agriculture and industry, renewable energy projects, and logistics centres spring up in the east, young people will put down roots there, and young people from the west will also come there.

Secondly, services and infrastructure. A young person's sole reason for going to Istanbul is not just work; good education, good secondary schools, good universities, adequate healthcare, quality hospitals, fast transport, and a city where one can live a good, modern life are also important reasons. If these are available in the east at the same standards, the feeling of ‘if I don't go west, I'll be left behind’ will disappear.

‘Equal Opportunities and Quality in Education’ are needed; families are migrating for their children's future. One of the most sustainable ways to reverse migration is to fundamentally improve the quality of education in the east. Quality education both changes the future of children there and eliminates the thought among families that ‘we must leave here for my child to receive a good education.’ And we must never forget that ‘Education is for Production’; education cannot have any other primary goal than brain and hand production. The more qualified the education, the more abundant and qualified the production will be.

The third is quality of life; music and film festivals in Diyarbakır, an international art biennial in Mardin, world-class tourism events in Van, gourmet tourism in Hatay, cities where you can walk safely and happily in the streets and avenues, etc. People should be drawn to the east not only to work but also to live a quality life, because ‘development will be incomplete without culture, belonging and security’.

Let us also remember that ‘migration is not only a problem for the east, but also a burden for the west’. If we want to relieve our western cities a little and develop our eastern cities, we must first strengthen the east industrially, improve the quality of urban life, and make it culturally attractive. Reversing migration will not only mean investing in the east but also giving the west a breather.

Let me conclude with one last anecdote. A businessman from Erzurum migrated to the west years ago. He has now moved his factory, along with his key personnel, to Diyarbakır. I asked him, ‘Why?’ He smiled:

‘I couldn't find staff in Istanbul, but here young people are knocking on doors looking for work. I also wanted to be of some benefit to my homeland.’

Perhaps the issue is that simple: We need to give people a reason to stay in the east, not just a dream to migrate from the west to the east.

Reversing migration is not just about building roads or factories; it is possible by building hope, opportunity and quality of life. This is not a short-term project; it requires a comprehensive mobilisation and a smart strategy. Our goal should be to create an East, Southeast and Northeast Anatolia where people ‘don't feel compelled to leave’, but rather ‘find reasons to stay’.

Yes, we absolutely must ‘make the East an attraction centre’. Just as the west of our country has become an attraction centre over the last few centuries, we must make the east of our country an attraction centre in the coming period. In fact, we must go beyond ensuring that people from the east remain in the east; we must also encourage people from the west to migrate to the east.

The east of Turkey is not just a geography, but also a deep-rooted history and a unique cultural heritage. It is the shared responsibility of all of us as a nation to protect and develop this heritage, removing it from being merely a ‘transit point’ and turning it into a ‘liveable centre’. The return to the east is not merely a demographic movement; it is also one of the most important steps that must be taken for Turkey's integration and enrichment.

So, if we were to launch a campaign right now to encourage migration from the west to the east, when could we expect to see results?

In the short term (1–3 years): Housing shortages and workloads in the west would decrease. New job opportunities and investment activity will begin in the east. The state's security and social spending burden will be reduced.

Medium Term (5–10 years): Eastern cities will become centres of production and export. Agricultural and energy exports will contribute directly to the economy. The income gap between the west and the east will begin to close.

Long term (10–25 years): Turkey's demographic balance is achieved. Eastern Anatolia becomes a strategic trade and logistics hub opening up to Central Asia and the Middle East. Turkey emerges as a destination for migration rather than a source of migration.

Conclusion

Migration from East to West; although it may seem like Turkey's destiny, this destiny can be changed with the right policies. Migration from West to East is not merely an economic solution but a strategic opportunity for rebirth. The steps taken today will shape tomorrow's Turkey into a country that shapes Eurasia.

‘Reversing migration is not just a human movement; it means redesigning Turkey's future.’