Assist. Prof. Safa YILDIRAN of the Department of Islamic Economics and Finance at Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University delivered a seminar presenting the study titled “The Potential Impact of Zakat on Agricultural Products (‘Ushr) on Poverty and Income Inequality in Türkiye”, which he co-authored with Ozan MARAŞLI, Burak DOĞAN, Sinan ERTEMEL, M. Mücahit DENK, and Abdullah DURMUŞ. The seminar took place on January 7, 2026, at 12:30 PM in the Meeting Hall on the 7th Floor of Block C, North Campus of our university. The event was attended by Prof. Dr. Faruk BAL, Dean of the Faculty of Political Sciences and Head of the Department, as well as faculty members and graduate students.
In his presentation, YILDIRAN examined the potential effects of the ‘ushr practice on poverty and income distribution in Türkiye from both theoretical and empirical perspectives, analyzing the ‘ushr tax as an important redistribution mechanism within Islamic economics. The study focuses on the capacity of the ‘ushr system—operating primarily through revenues derived from agricultural production—to improve the welfare of low-income and vulnerable households. Analyses based on current indicators of poverty and income inequality in Türkiye suggest that, if implemented in a regular, institutionalized, and transparent manner, ‘ushr could help mitigate the deterioration of income distribution and contribute meaningfully to the reduction of poverty rates. The study also emphasizes that ‘ushr can be considered a complementary instrument to existing social assistance and tax policies, particularly in alleviating regional inequalities in rural areas. In this respect, YILDIRAN’s work offers important insights into how alternative social policy and redistribution mechanisms can be operationalized in the Turkish context. Following the presentation, participants raised questions regarding methodological choices and the policy implications of the findings during the Q&A session. The event concluded after a productive exchange of views.
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