İzmir, a role model for development

I met the Head of the Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation (TÜRKONFED) Tarkan Kadooğlu. 

TÜRKONFED is publishing striking research in recent years and I follow all of it with great interest.

They presented their last report last week, in Izmir—“City-region: New dynamics in local development: From cities of Turkey to a Turkey of cities.”

They have taken a look at a topic which I have been writing from a scientific approach.

This is what I have been writing for some time:

Firstly, there is a need to have strong democracy for economic development.

Secondly, a competition not even among states but among cities and regions is taking place.

We made similar comments with Kadooğlu when we talked. 

“We need a developed democratic culture for a developed economy. Societies with developed democracies stand against coups and mentalities in favor of coup. As the business world, our main exception is to have meritocracy, institutionalization and return to normal so that we do not witness an incident similar to the July 15 coup attempt. Our expectation is to have a new restructuring in the framework of international principles like democracy, supremacy of law and independence of the judiciary. The continuity of Turkey’s growth passes from the internalization of these principles together with the creation of a new development model.”

I agree with him.

Loyalty to democracy should come before anything; but this is not enough…

There is a need for a developed democracy.

This is not enough either.

There is need for the rule of law and independence of judiciary too.

Anyone have any objections?

Kadooğlu also discussed how urbanization is replacing globalization.

“With brand names and competitiveness as their strengths, cities are assuming key roles to activate the development dynamics of their regions and their countries. National development programs should be prepared with a perspective based on cities rather than with a regional approach. That will bring about better results,” he said.

It is not a coincidence that TÜRKONFED held its meeting to promote the report in İzmir. İzmir is one of the cities that a lot of people are speaking about recently. This is not just limited to Turkey; I can feel it when I go to Europe as well. Istanbul is obviously a case apart but İzmir’s star is shining too. 

“When you think of the potential of İzmir, a city with an income more than $14,000 per person, a new economic role model could be created with transformation and strategic action plans in the agriculture, industry and services sectors. A development move starting in İzmir can activate dynamism, which can directly affect the surrounding cities, the region and the country,” Tarkan Kadooğlu said.

I agree and let me add:

The era of thinking everything is from Istanbul and everything is for Istanbul is ending, because Turkey is not just about Istanbul. İzmir is one of the most important addresses of a new model for Turkey’s democracy and economic development.