55% of public servants do not wish to continue working in metropolitan areas. The main reason is the increasing costs, particularly housing issues. This is the report by Shevval Yigit…The cost of living in metropolitan areas has risen, and the housing problem has grown. One in two public servants expressed a desire to be transferred. These findings are from a survey conducted on 2,000 public servants working in metropolitan and coastal cities by the Turkish Büro-Sen. Evaluating the survey results, Turkish Büro-Sen President Türkeş Güney stated, “55.30% of our public servants mentioned they would prefer to be transferred to Anatolia if the opportunity arises. 56.80% of those requesting a transfer did so for economic reasons. Some public servants have resorted to arranged marriages for the sake of a transfer. They have secured reports regarding family members, and unfortunately, some of them have taken dubious paths to navigate the system, which has reached our union.” According to the survey, Güney stated that 74.2% of public servants’ income is spent on food and rent. “When we asked our public servants about the highest expenditures from their salaries, they indicated that 37.1% goes to food expenses, with rent following closely at 37.1%. When we add the 5.9% for credit debt, it is evident that our public servants have no disposable income left for holidays, leisure, or social activities.” Güney highlighted the need for salary improvements for public servants serving in metropolitan and coastal areas, stating, “Our public servants serving in metropolitan and coastal cities cannot make ends meet due to the living conditions in these areas. Urgent metropolitan compensation and rent assistance must be provided. Additionally, our state should construct long-term affordable housing through TOKİ to address the housing issue for public servants.”