The Republic of Turkey, which has increasingly matured over its 81-year history, has succeeded in becoming the 17th largest economy in the world. However, it has been unable to achieve the same level in the fields of economic and social development and human development. In this sense it is essential that Turkey make intensive efforts to raise its level of development.;
Turkey’s basic aim is to achieve developed nation status in 2023. To that end it must plan the next 20-year period as from today, and define its objectives and policy means. This requires a long-term strategic approach. The economic and political conditions of the last 25 years limited Turkey’s need and ability to think strategically and in the long term, but impelledit to think and live pragmatically and in the short term. Five-year development plans andstructures that confirmed existing trends were far from responding to that need.;
Based on the recent improvement in the economic and political spheres and thatnormalization will continue, it is thought that Turkey’s need and capacity to think in the longterm will rise. In particular, in this period at the beginning of the 21st century, when a new structuring of politics, security and the economy in the global sense has begun, Turkey’s need for long-term strategic plans is increasing.;
The study on Turkey’s Vital Statistics and Global Positioning 2023 has been prepared with the aim of meeting this need. The study offers forecasts regarding Turkey’s social and economic basic indicators and global positioning in such a way as to encompass the next 20 years.;
The study has two main features. The first is that it consists of forecasts, not of guesswork. In other words, no estimate is made of what the future will be like if present-day.;
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