One of the most important goals of economic policies is to maximize public welfare. Many theories have been put forward for this purpose. The concept of the social welfare state is a movement that emerged with similar aims to increase social welfare. The concept of the social welfare state has been a phenomenon that has emerged with the aim of eliminating deficiencies in societies and ensuring equality within society since the moment it first emerged. The expenditures made by the states within the scope of this understanding are social welfare expenditures. With these expenditures, the state aims to eliminate economic and social inequalities within the society, especially in economic terms, by intervening in the market. When we look at the economic interventions of the state, we come across State Owned Enterprises (SOEs). SOEs have an important place because they are effective in producing the goods and services that society needs, ensuring stability in the country's economy and reducing income inequality. The study investigates the role of state owned enterprises within the framework of the social welfare state. In this context, statistical data on the shares of SOEs in GDP, employment, production and investment in Turkey between 1970 and 2022 were compiled and interpreted. It has been concluded that the share of SOEs in social welfare indicators has gradually decreased in the period examined. The reason for this is that the market economy has reached a certain maturity and size, and accordingly, GDP, production, investment and employment levels have also increased significantly. Despite the decreasing role of SOEs, they still appear as a direction-determining actor in economic activities, operating in many strategic areas. For these reasons, it has been concluded that by adopting a more effective and efficient business approach, SOEs can contribute to growth, economic stability and income inequality at both individual and regional levels.