Evaluation of the System of Welfare State in Turkey

Abstract

Welfare state gives minimum income guarantees to individuals and protects them against social risks and provides social security. It also offers education, health and housing services to all citizens. The theoretical framework of the welfare state has gained importance with the question of how to divide prosperity among individuals, which was produced by capitalism. Its transformation into practice became possible in the second half of the twentieth century with the increasing need for protection in society after years of war and crisis. This study discusses the ever changing understanding of social state depending on social and economic developments; and the share allocated to social spending from the general state budget in Turkey has been analyzed whether it is adequate or not by comparing it with OECD data.