Global water management and water policy: Privatization of water in Turkey

Most of the issues evulated in water management like drinkable and potable water, storage and treatment of wastewater, how to quantificate of allocation of water to rural areas and industries and how to provide of financing of investments in water sector, have itself a politic substance in the context of how to manage these related services, although those are generally seen as technical issues. As getting more importance of maintaining human communities and also the other living beings? existence in historical process, development of policies which are based on public remedy in water management have been more brought to forefront, too. Whereas water services were being provided by private companies in some western countries? cities after Industrial Revolution, encountered important problems; particulary, serious impairments seen at community health at forthcoming terms had leaded up to attempts of providing water services as a public service. Today public supply of water and treatment systems provide services at this service area to most of the world population. As in most of the world?s countries, water services are provided by public in Turkey, too.In the worldwide and Turkey, especialy in the last decade, both urban and rural water services and also the applications of models which contain private sector participation in water management has been brought to agenda. These applications have been presented by the threats of ?water shortage? and ?waterlessness? which are based on neo-liberal ideology. On the basis of several politicies and reform proposals which seek to make private sector to participate in water management lies that water crisis would be removed only in case of water is managed in the market principle context. In line with this argument the neo-liberal policies which are oriented of commodization and marketization of water have been tried to make it gain functionality at the global level in the last years. Making a current issue bringing with reforms in several countries, institutional structuring of water management which was organized mostly at the central level formerly in the context of public service concept, is either wanted to be removed directly or to convert of functional rationales of institutions. Hence, several attempts and platforms are being developed by multinational water companies at the global level.In this context in the thesis study featured structures of water managent in the world and Turkey and global water policies which are determined by these structures are studied. At the center of this study two main analyses exist. First, acceptence of as an ordinary right of marketable of water as a commodity and multinational and local elements/actors that have roles in this process are studied. Second, water services and management area that are defined as a public service are studied of restructuring in terms of institutional and legal aspects in line with neo-liberal water policies. The related restructurings and privatization of water services are analysed in detailed manner at the Turkey sample.Key Words: Public service, water, water management, global actors, Turkey, privatization, commodization.