Best districts to live in Turkey revealed

ISTANBUL

Turkey’s top 18 districts in terms of human development are from the country’s biggest cities of Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa and Antalya, while the 11 districts that scored lowest were in the east and southeast, an Istanbul-based foundation has revealed.

In its “Act*Human Human Development Summit” held in Istanbul on Jan. 25, the Human Development Foundation (İNGEV) presented its recent research in which 150 district in 30 Turkish provinces were evaluated based on 50 criteria that were chosen to be indications of human development. 

According to the study, “Human Development Index – Districts,” Ankara’s Çankaya district scored the highest, followed by two Istanbul districts, Kadıköy and Beşiktaş. At the bottom of the list, the Ergani district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakır was last, while the eastern province of Van’s Erciş district was second from last.

The criteria that were taken into consideration in the research were based on social, economic and environmental factors, including governance, social inclusion, economic situation, education, health, social life, the environment and transportation.  

Besides these data-based criteria, the research also assessed the municipalities’ activity reports, corporate websites, social media accounts and undercover client reports. 

The research evaluated the districts in four groups, namely, highest human development, high human development, middle-level human development and low human development. Some 63 district scored within the range of middle-level human development, suggesting that Turkey’s human development stands at a middle level. 

İNGEV President Vural Çakır said the study aimed to develop a system that would “objectively evaluate the performances” of the districts.

“More importantly, we have the aim of providing support for the future as we try to determine as to what areas, and through which incentives, we can reach a higher development level,” said Çakır.

The research project’s coordinator, Professor Murat Şeker, said the research was carried out for the first time this year, adding that municipalities will now be able to make use of a database thanks to the study. 

The Jan. 25 event, meanwhile, was attended by 600 guests and hosted guest speaker Muhtar Kent, the Coca-Cola Company CEO; Professor Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli historian and author of the books “SAPIENS” and “Homo Deus;” Emma Duncan, the associate editor of The Economist and editor of 1843; as well as Marcos Neto, director of the UNDP’s Istanbul International Center for Private Sector in Development (IICPSD).