Why does Turkey suddenly need so many bankruptcy trustees?
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's battle against the Gulen movement is making some people very rich — and bankrupting others.
![TURKEY-FINANSBANK/ Finansbank headquarters is seen between Tekfen (2nd L) and Sapphire (R) towers in Istanbul, Turkey, June 9, 2016. REUTERS/Murad Sezer - RTSGPQH](/sites/default/files/styles/article_hero_medium/public/almpics/2016/06/RTSGPQH.jpg/RTSGPQH.jpg?h=f7822858&itok=WryGgqZG)
Thousands of young people among Turkey's 3.2 million unemployed are dreaming of getting a government appointment as a bankruptcy trustee. Since October, thousands of people have Googled the question “How can I become a trustee?” That in itself is enough to illustrate Turkey's economic problems — not to mention the unusual wave of bankruptcies the government has been involved in.
Turkey's economy has been shrinking for two years. The gross domestic product, which was $823 billion in 2013, was down to $720 billion at the end of last year. Turkey, which had the 17th-largest economy of the world, as of last year dropped to No. 19. Economic data for the first five months of 2016 are not all that promising, either.