ISTANBUL, Turkey (AFP) — Turkish doctor Mesut began his career wanting to help patients and be of use to his country, but now the threat of patient violence and soaring inflation has forced him to plan a move abroad.

Mesut says he will quit his job at a private Istanbul hospital and next year leave with his wife and two children for Germany.

He is one of a growing number of highly skilled professionals who are leaving or want to leave Turkey — a trend that experts say has accelerated in recent years as families struggle to keep up with the rising cost of living.

"We have lost all hope for the future," the 38-year-old anesthesiologist who did not wish to give his full name told AFP.

Turkish doctors in particular say their working conditions have worsened, with long hours, an increase in physical and verbal abuse from patients or their relatives, and bullying by bosses.

In one of the most recent attacks, a gunman in July shot cardiologist Ekrem Karakaya 15 times and killed him, reportedly because he held the doctor responsible for his mother's death.

Turkey's economic woes have only made emigrating more attractive, with inflation exceeding 83 percent and the Turkish lira having lost around 30 percent in value against the dollar since the start of the year.

Some say even next year's elections — in which President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will struggle to extend his two-decade rule — offer no hope for change.

'Lost all motivation'

A specialized doctor at a Turkish public hospital earns a monthly average of more than $1,000 — more than three times the minimum wage of nearly $300, but still much less than what a doctor earns in Europe.

Mesut says he earns $2,000 a month, but even that is not enough now life is so much more expensive.

"We work hard but the money we get… has no value," he said.

"We are exposed to violence, beatings and attacks from patients, and we've lost all motivation."

The government says it is trying to solve these issues, and in July increased doctors' wages by 42 percent in the public sector.

It introduced reforms in August towards further improving their economic conditions and protecting them from violence.

The regulations aim to limit the number of doctors leaving Turkey, and curb the rising trend of medical professionals switching from public to private hospitals for better pay.