Turkey's Regional Minimum Wage Debate Sparks Investment and Migration Concerns

Diyarbakır Chamber of Commerce chairman Mehmet Kaya warned that a regional minimum‑wage system would not attract investment or jobs. He argued that lower wages in less‑developed provinces would push skilled workers toward western cities, widening regional disparities and creating a new wave of internal migration.

Social security expert İsa Karakaş warned that differing wage floors across provinces could strain the SGK’s centralized system, increase administrative burdens for employers, and raise legal challenges under the principle of equality. He also cautioned that the policy might accelerate internal migration, exacerbate housing pressure in large cities, and hinder business operations.

Both speakers stressed that minimum‑wage policy is a core social‑policy tool affecting millions of workers, and that addressing Turkey’s production, investment and employment problems requires broader structural measures rather than fragmented wage adjustments.