An investigation of the relationship between neoliberal politics and economic growth in European Union and Turkey

Through the economics history, in order to explore the most available economic model that provides sustainable economic growth, loads of theories have been postulated and academic studies have been done. From this point of view, neoliberal politics, which gained importance during the globalization stream, have been the issue of several investigations in terms of its relationship with economic growth. In this study, the relationship between neoliberal politics and economic growth is investigated by regarding some economic variables in the EU and Turkey within the scope of three parts. After the oil crises which occured during 1970s, Keynesian economic policies were left and neoliberal economic policies were adopted in the EU. Particularly, developed countries that were member of the EU presented neoliberal policies as an economic program that must have been applied by the improving countries for the integration to the unity. After 24 January decisions, neoliberal policies gained importance by the transition from import substitution policies to export oriented industrialization strategy in Turkey. However stable economic growth ratios could not be attained after the application of neoliberal policies because of the structural problems of the national economy and economic and political crises that take part in the internal and external conjoncture.