of successive Turkish governments has been shaped around the objective of Turkish membership in the European Economic Community (Pittman, 1989, 169). This objective has been actively pursued in the face of strong opposition within the Turkish population, and within the environment of a European reaction that is cool to the idea at best. The almost single minded economic orientation of successive Turkish governments has led to economic indecision and a neglect of more attainable economic objectives. By the year 2000, Turkey's population is projected to be larger than that of any country now in the European Community, and Turkey is already an impoverished country (World Bank, 1993, p. 228). The European Community fears that admitting Turkey to full membership would severely tax the resources of all other community members, and that the other member states would be overrun by immigrant Turkish workers. The European Community has effectively deferred consideration of the Turkish request for full membership which will not likely occur until the next century, while granting the country an associate status.
Since the establishment of the Turkish republic in 1923, the Turkish economy has grown at an average annual rate of six-percent (Pittman, 1989, p. 169). During this period, the Turkish economy has developed into a complex system with diversified activities in the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors.
Turkey's gross national product (approximating US$70 billion) is greater than that of four European Community members --Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Portugal. This fact, however, is attributable to Turkey's large population rather than to its economic prowess. In the context of per capita gross national product, Turkey (US$1,100) trails far behind even the poorest of European Community members--Portugal (US$3,100).
While successive Turkish governments have developed and pursued policies for an export-led developm...