Turkey's experience with neoliberal policies since 1980 in retrospect and prospect

Abstract

This paper provides a critical assessment of Turkey's economic performance under the neoliberal economic policies which have been instrumental in generating a profound transformation in its socioeconomic structure since 1980. The paper draws special attention to the government's loss of policy autonomy and the democratic deficit at the initial and implementation stages of this transformation. It then evaluates Turkey's economic performance on the basis of indicators with medium and long-term impacts, such as investment, saving, industrialization, unemployment, and income distribution. This assessment shows that the neoliberal model has failed to fulfill its promises, with the Turkish economy failing to achieve performance equal to that under the previous import-substitution strategy or in comparable countries. The paper then identifies the main problem areas confronting the economy: the current account deficit, the labor market, insufficient industrial progress and income distribution, and poverty. To solve these problems, it calls for both a radical rethinking of the neoliberal policy regime and for proactive state intervention to stimulate saving and investment as part of a new development strategy, giving primary importance to industrialization, employment creation, and more equitable income distribution.

Analysing the Global Fight Against Climate Change and the Turkish Context

“…The picture presented by the case of Turkey in this regard is very striking. This country is one of the first to adopt neoliberal structural adjustment policies in the early 1980s (Şenses, 2016;Yalman, 2010). It draws attention with its reserved stance on the fight against climate change and international conventions on the environment.…”

Determining the effect of air transportation on air pollution in the most polluted city in Turkey

“…Turkey is one of the first countries to adopt neoliberal structural adjustment policies in the early 1980s (Senses, 2016; Yalman, 2010). It attaches importance to the transportation issue to keep up with economic globalization, integrate its national market and integrate with the global market.…”

Conservation politics and local communities in Turkey: The case of Köprülü Canyon National Park

“…Serbest piyasa ekonomisine geçişi ve uluslararası sermayeyle bütünleşmeyi sağlamak üzere hazırlanan ve 1980 darbe hükümeti döneminde yürürlüğe giren 24 Ocak Kararları ("istikrar paketi") Türkiye'de neoliberalleşmenin miladı sayılır (Yalman, 2009;Şenses, 2012;Harris ve Işlar, 2014;Çoban vd., 2015;Erol vd., 2016). Uluslararası Para Fonu (IMF), Dünya Bankası (DB) gibi uluslararası finans kuruluşlarının (ve 1990'ların ortasından itibaren Avrupa Birliği'nin) destek ve baskılarıyla, Türkiye ekonomisi askeri rejim sona erdikten itibaren hız kazanacak bir neoliberalleşme sürecine girmiştir.…”

“…Uluslararası Para Fonu (IMF), Dünya Bankası (DB) gibi uluslararası finans kuruluşlarının (ve 1990'ların ortasından itibaren Avrupa Birliği'nin) destek ve baskılarıyla, Türkiye ekonomisi askeri rejim sona erdikten itibaren hız kazanacak bir neoliberalleşme sürecine girmiştir. Ticaret ve ulusal finans sektörünün serbestleşmesi, yönetimde deregülasyon ile yetki ve görev dağılımı amaçlayan yapısal uyum politikaları, kamu iktisadi teşebbüslerinin özelleştirilmesi gibi "yapısal reformlar"ın arkasında IMF-DB ikilisi başat rol oynayacaktır (Şenses, 2012;Harris ve Işlar, 2014). 5 Türkiye ekonomisinin neoliberal yöneliminde, küresel süreçlerin (1973 petrol krizi, ekonomik ve siyasi istikrarsızlıklar vd.…”