The State Of Migration In Kastamonu

Kastamonu is among the provinces with the highest rate of internal migration in Turkey. It is the hardships particularly for those in the countryside to make a living that contribute to the migration acts in the Province. The migration acts in Kastamonu first appeared in 1950s with the developments in the rural transportation network; and has gained momentum since 1960s, when Turkey headed for an economic development process. Due to the continuing immigration process, such cities with larger employment opportunities as İstanbul, in particular, Ankara, Kocaeli, and Karabük are the places to which the people from Kastamonu prefer to migrate. With the migrations, the balance between the rural population and the urban population constantly changes in favour of the latter. It is mainly the active population; in other words, the labour force that migrate from Kastamonu, which is a major obstacle in the development of the Province. Therefore, it is essential that the measures to prevent the migrations be urgently taken in order to maintain the regional development in Kastamonu.