Stuck in War: The PKK Conflict and Intergenerational Outcomes in Turkiye

This study examines the long-term effects of the PKK conflict in Turkiye, using a difference-in-differences approach to exploit variations in conflict intensity across regions and cohorts. Our findings indicate that exposure to conflict during childhood significantly reduces educational attainment and adversely affects labor market outcomes in adulthood. Specifically, affected individuals are less likely to complete primary and secondary school and are more likely to be informally employed or engaged in low-skill jobs. In addition, exposure to conflict is associated with lower skill levels and a decreased likelihood of employment in the formal and manufacturing sectors, especially for males. Furthermore, we find that parental exposure to conflict negatively impacts the health outcomes of their children, particularly their height and weight for age, although the educational impacts generally do not persist into the second generation. These results are robust to the use of alternative samples and specifications, including controlling for migration and excluding the less affected regions and the major urban centers. Our findings highlight the profound and lasting impact of conflict on human capital development, emphasizing the importance of targeted policies to support affected children.