The monthly income of nearly 8.628 million Turks, some 10 percent of the overall population, is below TL 852 ($150), according to Turkey’s Social Security Institution (SGK), although the minimum wage is more than twice that amount, the Artı Gerçek news website reported.
The number of people with an income below $150 increased by 366,000 in the first half of this year, the report said.
The SGK data also indicate that 16.89 million people, 21.2 percent of the population of Turkey earns TL 10,670 ($1,871) annually. These people are considered to be living in poverty, according to SGK standards.
More than 11 million Turkish citizens are outside the social security system.