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The public school system, for which the state provides over 90% of the funding, has reportedly experienced steady improvement with a higher national budget and GDP percentage dedicated to education. However, the past decade has seen the private sector play a significantly larger role in education, particularly at the university and secondary levels, and increasingly among K-12 schools as well. The nation’s young population and under-supply of universities has driven private investment in the sector, and seen a dramatic increase in the number of institutions of higher learning. The government’s recent changes to public K-12 schooling – the so called 4+4+4 system passed into law in mid-May – have put the sector in the spotlight and anticipate more changes in quality and provision of education in coming years. This chapter has interviews with Zekeriya Yıldırım, the Chairman of the Darüşşafaka Foundation; and Dr Recep Akdağ, the Minister of Health.

Despite declines in the agriculture sector’s share of GDP since the early 2000s, Turkey still has prominent enough resources and the right climate for agriculture to be a leading sector of the economy. Turkey is the world’s seventh-biggest agricultural producer. While production is somewhat restrained by GMO regulations, the country remains ahead of EU competitors in this regard and is the Middle East’s biggest food exporter. Turkey attracts agricultural investment, with the significant potential for small-scale farms to consolidate on the back of the government’s investment plans. While agriculture’s contribution to the economy is still not ideal, because of trade- and production-distorting measures, with continued research and development there is substantial room to improve efficiency and output. The agriculture chapter has an interview with Recep Konuk, the President and Chairman of Konya Şeker.

It has been even more clear to the Turkish transport industry in the past few years that an improved transit network is crucial to accommodate the nation’s population growth and urban migration. The government has made transportation a priority, and the private sector is responding. Turkish Airlines, the national flagship carrier, has been updating its network to improve the efficacy of both domestic and international connections. Turkey is also carrying this mission out on the ground, building new bridges and roads, and high-speed rail, while in the cities key upgrades are being made to public transport systems. Marine transportation, with collaboration from the private sector, is also being improved through the use of build-operate-transfer contracts. With the pipeline of investments set to tackle dramatic transport challenges, and improved communication between public and private sector, solutions to Turkey’s transport needs appear to be on their way. This chapter has interviews with Binali Yıldırım, the Minister of Transport, Communication and Maritime Affairs; and Temel Kotil, the CEO of Turkish Airlines.

The construction sector responded to the 2008-09 financial crisis with promising growth on the back of rising urbanisation and a newly announced urban renewal plan to secure the nation’s cities against earthquakes. Additionally, international interest in the country’s real estate investments, particularly from the Middle East, is helping to drive the sector. With a constantly rising need for affordable, mid-class, and luxury residential properties, as well as the prominence of mixed-use buildings and commercial properties, and a vast pipeline of infrastructure projects, the industry is expected to grow persistently in the course of the next decade. This chapter has interviews with Ahmet Haluk Karabel, the President of the Housing Development Administration of Turkey (TOKİ); Avni Çelik, the Chairman of Sinpaş; Erman Ilıcak, the Chairman of Rönesans Holding; and Anthony Khoi, the President and CEO of Aerium Turkey.

In defiance of global economic woes, Turkey managed to grow its export base, which resulted in an increase in industrial production of 9%. Turkey has been seen as an inexpensive alternative to European export products, mainly for regional buyers, and the country has hosted a booming trade in consumer goods. Vehicle sales rose by some 14%, steel production by 17%, and white goods sales jumped 19% in 2011. The government is currently focused on increasing investments into research and development (R&D), in the interest of making Turkey a value-added and high-tech exporter. Free zones and technology parks are central to this strategy, as are a raft of newly announced incentives for investors into R&D activities. The chapter has interviews with several of Turkey’s top industrial players, including Hüseyin Özdilek, the Chairman of Özdilek Holding; Tuncay Özilhan, the CEO of Anadolu Group; and Muharrem Dortkasli, the President & CEO of Turkish Aerospace Industries.

While the country has been poor in many energy resources, Turkey’s geography has been central to its economic success. To better leverage this advantage, the government is working with the private sector to make Turkey central to the transit and storage of natural gas and petroleum resources. Electricity demand steadily increased at about 8% per annum, and this is driving the formulation of policies that will see Turkey increase production from renewable resources. As energy resources constitute a significant portion of total imports, driving up the current account deficit, the government is also launching efforts to see domestic resources become a greater share of the energy mix. The Energy chapter contains interviews with Taner Yıldız, the Minister of Energy; Alexander Medvedev, the Director General of Gazprom Export; Tony Hayward, the CEO of Genel Energy; and Rovnag Abdullayev, the President and CEO of SOCAR.