Poverty threshold continues to rise in Turkey

ISTANBUL – Hürriyet Daily News

The hunger threshold for a four-member family surpassed 1,000 Turkish Liras in August, reaching 1,020 liras ($509). Daily News Photo

The hunger and poverty lines for a four-member family have continued to rise in Turkey, a recent survey has shown.

The hunger threshold for a four-member family surpassed 1,000 Turkish Liras in August, reaching 1,020 liras ($509), the Hunger and Poverty Lines Survey conducted by Confederation of Turkish Labor Union (Türk-İş) has revealed.

The monthly surveys reflect the price changes of basic necessities on family budgets.

Türk-İş calculated the threshold, which indicates the minimum amount of money needed to save a four-member family from starvation, at 936 liras in August 2012.

The poverty threshold also grew markedly, going from 3,048 liras in August 2012 to 3,222 this month.

The hunger threshold depicts the amount of expenditures necessary for a family of four to feed itself healthily, while also including sufficient spending for clothing, housing (rent, electricity, water and fuel), transportation, education, health and related outlays.