New wave of Turkish influencers join brain drain as staying in Türkiye gets harder

The number of people migrating from Türkiye to other countries continues to rise every year. According to data from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT), nearly 100,000 people migrate annually to different countries for various reasons.

This wave of migration is driven by factors such as economic difficulties, instability, the desire for a humane life, and the search for better working conditions.

Recently, social media influencers and artists have joined this large migration wave. Influencers cite increasing pressures on the social media industry in Türkiye, frequent censorship practices, and heavy online criticism as reasons for moving abroad.

On the other hand, artists are seeking to build their futures in other countries because of harsh working conditions, wages far below Western standards, and an insecure, non-unionized work environment.

Is taxation real reason behind social media influencers’ migration?

With the rise in social media’s popularity post-pandemic, new professions and concepts have entered our lives. “Social media content creators” have become significant earners during this period. These earnings come from various methods, such as direct advertising in videos, images, or posts, covert advertising, earning through links to products, services, or accounts, and sharing revenue from platform ads.

However, all of these earnings are subject to taxation. Social media influencers are increasingly looking for ways to relocate abroad by showing the income from their companies and the taxes they’ve paid as proof.

Türkiye’s taxation system and rising financial burdens are among the key factors driving influencers and content creators to seek opportunities in other countries.

Famous names relocated from Türkiye

In recent years, many influencers and artists from Türkiye have moved abroad to continue their careers under better living conditions. So, who are the well-known figures that have settled abroad, and which countries have they chosen? These questions shed light on the growing trend of influence and artist migration.

1- Halil Soyletmez

Known in Türkiye for his portrayal of the character Cumali Ceber in his films, Halil Soyletmez was born on March 19, 1992, in Adana. He became a social media sensation in 2013 through his videos on Vine and directed his first film in 2017. In February 2019, he joined the cast of the popular Turkish TV series “Cocuklar Duymasin.”

On April 28, 2019, he married Seyma Eke, and on September 27, 2020, they welcomed a daughter named Arya.

Highlighting various issues in Türkiye, Soyletmez took advantage of visa privileges granted to artists and migrated to the U.S. He continues to produce videos about Türkiye from abroad.

2- Elvin Levinler

Born on April 24, 1988, in Istanbul, Elvin Levinler graduated with a scholarship from Koc University, where she studied International Relations. During her university years, she represented Türkiye abroad by participating in conferences as the Secretary General of the Turkish Atlantic Youth Council.

Additionally, she completed her ballet education at Ozlem Guzel Dance and Music School in 2011, earning a ballet teaching diploma from the Ministry of National Education and the Royal Academy.

Between 2011 and 2013, she starred in the TV series “Alemin Kirali” and later appeared in “Inadina Ask” from 2015 to 2016. With 1.2 million followers on Instagram, Elvin Levinler has recently moved to London with her husband.

3- Cuneyt Ozdemir

Cuneyt Ozdemir, born on February 8, 1970, in Ankara, is a prominent Turkish journalist and media figure. He graduated from Ankara University with a degree in Radio, Television, and Cinema. Ozdemir started his career in 1990 and became widely known for his work on the news program “32. Gun.”

He reported from international war zones and was part of the founding team of CNN Turk. Since 2000, he has hosted the award-winning program “5N1K.”

In 2016, Ozdemir moved to New York as CNN Turk’s correspondent and continued to cover significant global events, including the Riza Sarraf trial.

He also authored several books and gained a strong following on social media, including 685K Instagram followers. Ozdemir currently produces content on his YouTube channel and the paid platform Suppi TV, where he discusses world news.

4- Halkekmag / Dogukan Dogan

Dogukan Dogan founded Halkekmag while working as a copywriter, and the side project has since grown significantly. Currently, Doğan is based in London, where he focuses on Halkekmag and new projects on Instagram.

In August 2024, Dogukan Dogan, the founder of Halkekmag, became a British citizen.

5- Meric Izgi

Born in 1996 in Adana, Meric Izgi studied Fashion Design at Marmara University. Besides managing his social media accounts, Izgi is also an admin for a One Direction fan page.

Gaining a significant following through his social media posts, Izgi is the son of author Firat Izgi. He was recently detained for illegally keeping a monkey, and after processing at the police station, he was referred to court. The monkey was handed over to the Nature Conservation and National Parks Regional Directorate.

With 1.2M followers on Instagram, Meric Izgi has moved to South Korea, where he continues to create content.

6- Aleyna Tilki

Aleyna Tilki was born on March 28, 2000, in Konya, as the daughter of a mother from Of, Trabzon, and a father who is a Russian émigré from Konya. She first gained television attention by participating in “Yetenek Sizsiniz Türkiye” (Türkiye’s Got Talent). In August 2016, she featured as a vocalist on the Turkish composer and arranger Emrah Karaduman’s song “Cevapsiz Cinlama.”

The music video for the song became the most-watched video in Türkiye in 2016, amassing over 480 million views within a year, and achieved the title of the most-watched Turkish music video. The song reached number 2 on the MusicTopTR Official Chart. Tilki released her first solo track, “Sen Olsan Bari,” in July 2017, which also topped the Turkish charts.

With 3M followers on Instagram, Tilki continues to live in London while occasionally visiting Türkiye.

7- Ece Targit

Born on July 8, 1992, in Istanbul, Ece Targit graduated from an Italian High School and then studied Design Management at Parsons Paris. During her final year at university, she moved to New York and interned in the product development department at Estée Lauder.

Upon returning to Istanbul, she worked in the PR and training department at the same company but realized that corporate life was not for her.

To satisfy her desire for creativity and sharing, she decided to create content related to travel, beauty, and awareness on YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter.

With approximately 300K followers on Instagram, Targit recently moved to London with her husband.

The increasing migration of social media influencers and artists from Türkiye reflects a broader trend driven by various factors, including economic pressures, censorship, and harsh working conditions.

As these individuals seek better opportunities and improved living conditions abroad, they highlight the challenges faced within Türkiye’s socio-economic environment.

This migration trend not only emphasizes the changing landscape of the digital and artistic sectors but also raises questions about the future dynamics of Türkiye’s creative and media industries.