Academia facing poverty
Academics are facing economic crisis. Saying they are living below the poverty line, academics have demanded that a minimum salary be set, claiming that their budgets are insufficient for scientific activities.
The economic crisis that has been ongoing in the country for years, the rising cost of living, high exchange rates, and income inequality have led to poverty that affects all segments of society. Academics working at universities have also stated that they cannot make ends meet under the current conditions in the country. The Academic Solidarity Platform (ADAP) has called for a pay raise and demanded that a minimum salary be set.
In a statement issued by ADAP, it was noted that the poverty line in Turkey stood at 78,292 Turkish Lira in April. It was stated that "while the salary of a professor was 41% above the poverty line in April 2015, it remained only 19% above the poverty line in April 2025. The salary of a research assistant, which was 18% below the poverty line in April 2015, remained 22% below the poverty line in April 2025.
In this period when living conditions are becoming increasingly difficult, it is incomprehensible that the salaries of research assistants who have just started working and teaching faculty members who have been working for 25 years and have held the title of professor for 4 years are around 60,000 TL and 90,000 TL, respectively. The statement also stated that ‘the base salaries of academics should be re-adjusted to at least twice the poverty line, starting with research assistants’.
NO PARTY TO NEGOTIATE
In the statement, it was emphasised that the academic staff had no direct party to negotiate with regarding their personnel rights and that the situation was indicative of the fact that priority given to academia was limited to mere rhetoric.
The statement said, ‘Despite the fact that two years have passed since the former Minister of Labour and Social Security, Vedat Bilgin, announced a salary increase during the 2023 election campaign, no concrete steps have been taken on this issue, casting a shadow over the principle of “continuity in the state.”
The statement emphasised that academia is a noble profession that plays a critical role in the progression of societies, scientific development, and the cultivation of qualified human resources, and demands a high level of responsibility. It stated: “However, today in Turkey, academics are forced to live near the poverty line. This shows that not only the academic community but also the future of our country is under threat.
Considering the current economic conditions, it is clear that the salaries of academic staff in Turkey are not at an acceptable level in terms of either living standards or maintaining professional prestige. Despite all the contacts and attempts made so far, the lack of concrete progress has led to a loss of trust and motivation.
Urgent measures must be taken to ensure that academic staff can live in humane conditions, and our demand for an academic pay raise must no longer be ignored."
Note: This text has been translated from the original Turkish version titled Akademi yoksulluk sınırında, published in BirGün newspaper on June 7, 2025.
