ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - More than 300,000 people have left Turkey’s southeastern Kurdish province of Van over the past five years, moving to neighboring cities and other parts of Turkey, mainly due to a lack of job opportunities and income sources, according to data from Turkey’s statistical authority.
The Turkish Statistical Institute (TUIK) reports that a total of 308,806 people have migrated from Van in the last five years, contributing to a significant decline in the province’s population.
With around 1.5 million residents, Van is one of Turkey’s least-developed provinces. It ranks 72nd among Turkish cities in terms of overall livability, with 74 percent of the province’s income generated through agriculture. Industry and trade provide additional income, while tourism has emerged as a growing source of revenue in recent years.
"Among Turkey’s 81 provinces, Van is economically the poorest," Necdet Takva, president of the Van Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Rudaw in an interview in March 2024. "This is a very unusual situation."
Takva highlighted multiple obstacles hindering development across all sectors in Van. "The biggest challenge is the authorities’ attitude towards the province. Our officials are not making sufficient efforts to support Van’s development," he said.
He also noted that many young people and individuals without formal education remain unemployed, even though some have moved to western Turkey in search of work.
While Van ranks 14th among Turkey’s provinces in terms of tourism potential, it lacks the infrastructure to accommodate a large number of visitors, limiting the sector’s growth.