“The incompetence of its past leaders, relative to Erdogan (who’s no prize), is why Turkey was such a laggard before Erdogan.”
My take is that Erdogan is not really better than the past
(corrupt, more than incompetent) leaders - except for the initial package of business law improvements he instituted, at the behest of the EU. Back then, getting into the EU was a real prospect for Turkey.
The EU bureaucrats spoon-fed his administration (as they would have any regime in power at that time) much improved best practices, while Erdogan and his cronies focused on milking (especially) the energy sector for corrupt profits, consolidating political power, and radicalizing the education system and society with islamism.
Erdogan really brought no great sophistication to the management of the economy - his interest was basically how it would play politically for him. Getting into the EU was a politically popular aspiration in Turkish society, and he adopted it as his economic platform, for purely political purposes. He is a politician first and foremost, an islamist ideologue and huge ego beyond that.
He has had no apparent qualms at taking very destructive economic actions, since he has solidified his political power. I would say that he is now actively driving down Turkey’s economy, and is not likely to stop.
“My take is that Erdogan is not really better than the past
(corrupt, more than incompetent) leaders - except for the initial package of business law improvements he instituted, at the behest of the EU. Back then, getting into the EU was a real prospect for Turkey.
The EU bureaucrats spoon-fed his administration (as they would have any regime in power at that time) much improved best practices, while Erdogan and his cronies focused on milking (especially) the energy sector for corrupt profits, consolidating political power, and radicalizing the education system and society with islamism.”