Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
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Turkey - Expression of concern about the abduction, detention and trial in Turkey of Mr Abdullah Ocalan — World Council of ChurchesWCC commissions and working groups, 1999-03-11
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Turkey at a Crossroads: The Political Economy of Turkey’s TransformationEconomics and politics are inextricably linked in all countries. This is particularly true for Turkey, which is at a crossroads where politics overwhelmingly dominates economics. An accurate understanding of the way in which the Turkish economy integrates into the global markets, therefore, will not be possible unless the broader political context is understood. This paper argues that Turkey is geared up for a regime change, which is likely to be more authoritarian and less secular. It first emphasizes the Islamist-oriented Justice and Development Party’s (AKP) radical policy discrepancies, which appear as inconsistencies at first glance but in effect complement each other in the face of dynamic political changes to achieve a regime change. It then focuses on the role of economic policies that were designed to create an artificial economic miracle and to stimulate short-term consumption to achieve successive election victories. However, since the “economic success” was built on weak fundamentals, only a more authoritarian regime could rescue the AKP. The paper concludes by discussing the presidential system, which is essential to seal what has been achieved and facilitate further and more radical transformations.
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Investing in Turkey's Next Generation : The School-to-Work Transition and Turkey's DevelopmentThis report assesses the prospects for
 Turkey's youth by examining the 'school-to-work
 transition'. Turkey needs to invest in its young people
 to capture the potentially substantial dividend of
 today's large youth cohort. Because of the sheer number
 of young people, Turkey's working-age population will
 expand by over 800,000 every year during the next decade.
 This so-called 'productive population' will
 continue to grow until around 2020 when the demographic
 window starts to close. By that time, Turkey will have the
 population profile of an aging society. East Asia's
 economic miracle of the 1970s and 1980s demonstrated that a
 large youth cohort can propel an economy to very high growth
 rates. However, the experience in other regions, such as
 Latin America, has shown that this outcome is by no means
 guaranteed. Investments made now in today's children
 and youth will be critical in determining the extent to
 which Turkey benefits from this 'demographic
 dividend' While the potential benefits are great, so
 are the risks if today's large youth cohort does not
 find its place in tomorrow's labor market and society.
 The potential downside of this demographic profile is also
 significant. If Turkey's young people are not well
 prepared for the world of work and if the labor market does
 not generate more and better jobs for them, then this large
 youth cohort will be the source of social and economic
 pressures and tensions. Indeed, managing the transition into
 adulthood will be a very important factor in determining how
 well Turkey achieves the goals of stability, equity, and
 competitiveness that are at the heart of the Ninth
 Development Plan. In many respects, Turkey has taken
 important steps to prepare for this future. Today's
 young people are more educated and healthier than previous
 ones, which is a strong base to build on. Educational
 achievements have been notable, especially in basic
 education. Enrollments are up at all levels. Some important
 steps have been taken to modernize the labor market and to
 establish the foundations for employment institutions and
 policies suitable for an open, private-sector led economy.