Turkey

The minarets of Istanbul’s Hagia Sofia, an iconic part of the city’s skyline, will soon be joined by a tower to become one of the tallest buildings in Europe. The Scottish-designed tower, part of “Metropol Istanbul”, will be located in the new financial district in Ataşehir, which is now beginning to take shape.

Istanbul’s public transport system is set to be radically overhauled by the addition of an underwater transit tunnel, new train stations and a possible third bridge over the Bosphorus. The most recent development in Turkey’s transport section has been the completion of the undersea section of the Bosphorus tunnel – or “Marmaray” – project.

Major changes are under way in the Turkish health care system in both the private and public sectors. While higher rates of hospital accreditation and a focus on attracting foreign customers is increasing the quality of care in the private sector, more Turkish citizens and permanent residents will be enrolled in the state system, following the institution of a universal health insurance policy.

These are exciting times for Turkish car manufacturers, who are riding a wave of growth thanks to a weak lira, increasing investment in research and development (R&D) and foreign firms’ boosting of local production. In a sign of the local industry’s growing maturity, one domestic investment firm is now the frontrunner in the takeover of an ailing European car manufacturer.

In late December Turkish parliamentarians approved a budget that would expand public spending, even as their European neighbours begin fiscal austerity programmes. Major increases in public employment and education spending are meant to help soften an expected economic downturn while investing in future growth.

In a sign that the country has performed well in the face of debt crisis affecting its neighbours in the EU, the Turkish government announced in January that the economy expanded 8% in 2011, with the construction, manufacturing, and retail sectors leading the way. Fears of a hard landing still remain, given Turkey’s chronic current account deficit and its recent struggles with inflation, but a burgeoning domestic economy, combined with political stability and a healthy fiscal position, have enabled the country to post decent macroeconomic data.