Is Turkey an economic exception?

IFRI (France)

14 December 2011

Conference report from the roundtable organized at IFRI on December 6th, 2011

This roundtable was devised to tackle the specificity of Turkey’s economy, which is completing major economic achievements in those difficult times. François Faure first analyzed the risks of an economic backlash in the country, following the European crisis. It appears that Turkey is in a weaker position than in 2008. Difficult times could lie ahead. Esen Çağlar pointed out how Turkey successfully mutated from a low-technology to medium-technology economy, thus fueling considerable levels of growth. Yet, a renewed reform agenda is needed if Turkey wants to maintain its economic performances. In any case, Europe will most certainly play a role in the country’s economic future. According to Rémi Bourgeot, the Middle East cannot provide an alternative to European markets even if it represents interesting opportunities for the Turkish South East. Turkey’s capacity to grow will also rely on its ability to become a corridor between Europe and the Energy resources that stand in its environment.

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