The Impact of Globalization on Turkey's Transformation into an Emerging Economic Power (1990–2024)"

Subject Areas : International Relations

علیرضا سلطانی ¹ , Homeyra Aryanmehr ² , Hamid Reza Shirzad ³ , Arsalan Ghorbani Sheikhneshin ⁴

1 - استاد دانشکده تهران مرکز استاد راهنما
2 -
3 - PhD Graduate of International Relations from Islamic Azad University, Science& Research Center, Tehran, Iran
4 - رئیس انجمن علوم سیاسی

Received: 2025-04-08 Accepted : 2025-07-03 Published : 2025-09-20

Keywords: Turkey , Globalization , Economic Development , Emerging Economic Powers Neoliberalism,

Abstract :

 

In the third decade of the 21st century, the Republic of Turkey has emerged as a significant economic power, ranking as the world’s 17th largest economy. The rise of a developmental state in the 1980s, the implementation of structural economic reforms, the conditionalities set by the European Union for potential membership, and the international development environment shaped by globalization have all played pivotal roles in facilitating Turkey’s economic ascent.

More specifically, global economic dynamics since the 1990s have acted as critical complements to Turkey’s internal development strategies. These international drivers—manifested through the globalization of markets, capital flows, and institutional frameworks—have significantly contributed to Turkey’s integration into the global economy.

This article, while acknowledging the influence of domestic political and economic variables on Turkey’s developmental trajectory, seeks to explore the question: How have the active mechanisms and forces of globalization facilitated and reinforced Turkey’s transformation into an emerging economic power?

It is hypothesized that the activation and intensification of globalization along economic, social, and political dimensions—through policy and financial support from international economic institutions, the inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI), the expansion of cross-border mergers and acquisitions, the facilitation of technology transfer, and the enhancement of export capacity within global trade networks—have collectively reinforced the neoliberal economic policies pursued by Turkey’s developmental state since the 1990s. These forces, in turn, have significantly contributed to Turkey’s emergence as an influential actor among the world’s emerging economies.

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