Privatization in Turkey: changing perceptions and methods of a decade
Author
Çetin, M. Polat
Advisor
Özbudun, Ergun
Date
1994Publisher
Bilkent University
Language
English
Type
ThesisItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Decreasing the role of state in economics generally and of public sector particularly
has been a fashionable policy means since the 1980s, being implemented in both
developed and underdeveloped countries Among the developing countries, Turkish
experience in privatization has been initiated timely, yet it has been implemented
discontinuously due to serious political obstacles.
Appearing first on the policy agenda of the Motherland Party in 1983 and being a
party of the "Neo-Liberal Economics" initiated with the Januaiy 24 Measures,
privatization has been undertaken continually, but not continuously in Turkey up until
today. However, the privatization of the 1990s differ from the 1980s in terms of its
methods, objectives and assumptions. Although there are some similarities,
privatization in the 1990s reflects the ideologies of the new coalition-government
formed by the True Path Party and Social Democratic Populist Party in 1991. The
second term of this coalition under the leadership of Tansu Çiller gave birth to a
polarization and various confrontations about privatization even among the coalition
partners which came to surface particularly after the April 5 Measures.
The main purpose of this study is to analyze the Turkish privatization experiences
both in the 1980s and 1990s, trying to show the similarities and differences by
focusing on the changing perceptions about this particular policy in order to draw
some lessons for future prospects.