Turkey 2023: A Trilateral Task Force

Turkey 2023 is a new project to outline a long-term prosperity vision for Turkey, explore its role in Europe and the transatlantic relationship, assess the state of the Republic and its institutions one hundred years after its foundation, and examine its position in the region and the world.

The project is based around an expert trilateral task force assembled by the Center for American Progress (Washington), the Istanbul Policy Center (Istanbul), and Istituto Affari Internazionali (Rome). The task force brings together a group of respected scholars several times a year for discussions to explore the challenges of inclusive growth, regional crises, and global relationships, including prospects for EU membership and global integration. The findings and recommendations from these workshops will be compiled in several policy papers in 2016 and 2017, versions of which we will be sharing through this page and our related Twitter handle.

After initial meetings in Istanbul in January, the task force is currently working to lay out an economic roadmap for Turkey through 2023. This economic paper will address ideas of inclusive growth, income inequality, shared prosperity, equal citizenship, and sustainable investment strategies. We hope to identify ways in which the EU and the U.S. can support Turkey along this path.

This effort is particularly timely, the momentum generated by the 2000 economic reforms has waned in recent years, punctuated by the global financial crisis. Persistent questions around the rule of law — including with regard to property rights — are affecting the investment appetite. Currently, public finances are decreasing, and the country’s structural debt is growing, forcing stopgap measures, and the current accounts deficit remains stubbornly high. Now more than ever, attention must focus on how Turkey can build competitive advantages in the areas of infrastructure, education, quality of labor, and the sustainability of investment flows.

Stay tuned for more information.