ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews Turkey’s evolution from a relatively poor, low-income country at the founding of the Republic in 1923 to the high-middle-income country it is today – a transformation that was fuelled by urbanisation, industrialisation, and public policies that enabled its cities to nurture and promote robust agglomeration economies. It considers the waxing and waning role of the State, the transformational impact of establishing a metropolitan municipality regime, as well as mechanisms to ensure Turkish cities were well-financed. It concludes by exploring current challenges for Turkish cities, particularly the need to forge greater social cohesion and citizen engagement, recognising that human capital is a vital necessity in transitioning to a high-income economy.
