Turks working abroad exceed 1.2 million
Over 1.2 million Turkish citizens were working abroad in 55 countries as of the end of 2006, a report issued by the Labor and Social Security Ministry noted.
According to the report, titled “Turkish Workforce Abroad” and prepared by the Foreign Affairs and External Labor Services General Directorate, there were 3,693,121 Turkish citizens residing overseas as of the end of 2006.Of these Turks, 3,024,987 were in Western European countries, 67,950 in Turkic republics and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC), 175,692 in the Middle East and African countries, 64,500 in Australia, 291,000 in the US and Canada, and 68,992 in the Russian Federation, Japan, Afghanistan and other countries.
The report found that there were 1,205,506 Turkish citizens working abroad as of the end of 2006. Of them, 826,934 were working in Western European countries, 23,609 in Turkic republics, 132,794 in the Middle East and African countries, 30,250 in Australia, 143,000 in the US and Canada and 48,919 in the Russian Federation, Japan, Afghanistan and other countries. Russia had the most Turkish workers in 2006, with 24,142, followed by Saudi Arabia with 19,841, Kazakhstan with 8,627 and Iraq with 7,525.
source: Today’s Zaman