ABSTRACT
For a long time, water was considered as a specifi c common good2 which needs to be managed collectively and from the utilization of which no one was to be excluded (Hochuli 2004). Thus, it was generally assumed that a state-run system is the usual way of provision and distribution of common goods. This trend, however, has started to change with the introduction of the so called Washington Consensus which is based on the understanding that privatization measures articulated in the ‘modernisation’ agendas of the governments in the 1980s pave the way for more effi cient state organization and faster economic growth. Thereby, following the efforts of global actors such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the water sector has experienced a massive wave of privatization covering different regions of the world, especially during the years after 1989. Consequently, the private sector participation in the water industry has become an important tool to fi nance water related projects in Turkey.
