Exporting Workers: The Turkish Case

Abstract

Since 1961, worker export flows have been a prominent aspect in most European countries, notably Germany, in the case of Turkey (p. 111). These flows mainly occurred from less developed countries to developed countries (p. 13) and most foreign workers were temporarily imported with no promise of permanent settlement (p. 5). Exporting Workers: The Turkish Case by Suzanne Paine uses surveys and reports to examine the social and economic situations of workers who migrated to Germany as guest workers under the Gastarbeiterprogramm labor migration contract signed between Turkey and the Federal Republic of Germany. The book widely reviews the process of migration and contains aspects of before, during, and after their migration. The German Federal Labor Office and the Turkish State Planning Organization are the two main reference sources. This research aims to analyze the impact of the worker export contract between Turkey and Germany on Turkey’s economic development and on the life of migrant workers (p. 8). The research combines quantitative and qualitative analysis with coherent methodology throughout its five chapters.