The Return of the State and Its Alla Turca Version

Abstract

Economic nationalism and state intervention recently gained attraction in many countries including Turkey. This paper questions whether Turkey has changed its economic policy framework towards a statecentric model and, if so, whether these changes are well thought-out and sustainable. The examination of key areas of state capitalism, that is the monetary, industrial, trade, financial, and state economic enterprise (SEE) policies put forward in the officially adopted five-year plans and annual programs, suggests that the changes in the economic policy framework began after the 2008 global crisis and accelerated after the transition to a presidential system. Upon examination, the policy framework does not reflect a definitive, coherent, and wholistic approach but rather a pragmatic attitude that swings back and forth, which exposes the country to swings in the global system.

Keywords

state-centric model, liberal international order, Turkey, globalization backlash, state capitalism

Citation

Ümit İzmen and Soli Özel, “The Return of the State and Its Alla Turca Version”, Uluslararasi Iliskiler, Vol. 21, No 83, 2024, pp. 5-23, DOI:10.33458/uidergisi.1522737

Affiliations

Ümit İZMEN Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Namık Kemal University, Tekirdağ E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0002-6000-1246

Soli ÖZEL Senior Lecturer, Department of International Relations, Kadir Has University, İstanbul E-Mail: [email protected] Orcid: 0000-0001-6557-584X