Around 8000 People Live in the Streets of Istanbul

In Turkey's largest city, Istanbul, there are approximately 8,000 homeless individuals. This was revealed in a report titled "Solutions: Homeless People in Istanbul" by Turkey’s Happiness Party. The research conducted for the report took three months to complete. It has been found that among the homeless are the children of businesspeople, former actors, and highly educated individuals. According to ermenihaber.am, 90% of these homeless individuals are male.

Some have been living on the streets for 3-4 months, while others have spent 14 years sleeping outdoors. About 65-70% of them are capable of working, while the remaining 30% have temporary or permanent health issues. Of the homeless people, 70% are Turkish citizens, and 30% are foreigners. Most of those who hold Turkish citizenship have moved to Istanbul from the eastern provinces of the country. Foreigners mainly include Moroccans, Uzbeks, Palestinian Arabs, and Syrians.

According to data published by Turkish NGOs, the number of homeless people across the country reaches between 80,000 to 100,000.