A neo-mercantilist explanation of the policy for developing national champion: The case of Turkey

In the case of Turkey, this study focuses on the attempt to create a national champion, which is one of the practices identified with the practices of state capitalism within the scope of neo-mercantilist policies not only to keep the national interests and security of states at the highest level in the international environment but also to increase the competitiveness of their own national companies with other companies in the international markets. In this context, what motivation and reason why states need to create national champions under which model constitutes the main problem of the study. While there is such a practice applied by many countries in the world, determining the position of Turkey in a similar effort and which model it fits into constitute the basis of the research question to be addressed within the scope of the study. "Which model does Turkey fit into one of the initiatives of national champion creation in the world?" is the basic starting point of the thesis. In this regard, the main research question of the thesis is "What is the main trigger of Turkey's quest to create a national champion?" The hypothesis put forward within the scope of the study is that the national security concerns of the countries are the main determinants of their search for creating national champions. In order to find an answer to the research question and to test the accuracy of the proposed hypothesis, typological case study technique, semi-structured interview and case analysis were used mainly within the scope of qualitative research methods. In this context, the activities of the Petroleum Pipeline Company (BOTAS) have been examined. As a result, Turkey is in search of creating national champions both to keep its national interests and security at the highest level and to operate effectively in international markets through its strong and highly competitive national companies. BOTAS reflects the characteristics of the lame ducks, which were once at the forefront but now lag behind in competition and technology.