Globalization, Welfare State and Turkey

Globalization entails challenges, opportunities and realities. The multiplying flows of goods \nand capital are grounded in the global extension of the free market and fostered by the \nneoliberal doctrine of economic liberalization and rationalization. Global economic forces \nlimit States in their ability to independently determine economic and social policies. One of \nthe defining ideals of the European Union has been its social support system, often referred to \nas the European welfare state. But the European welfare system is under pressure. In the \nother hand, both the national public institutions’ searching for new solutions and Turkey’s \nlegal reform efforts on its way to European Union membership have an important role. Like \nother welfare regimes, Turkey’s welfare regime displays new tendencies signaling a new \nperiod. This article is aimed at analyzing of the recent social policy reforms and dynamics \nin Turkey in the framework of the welfare state transformation. \nKeywords: globalization, welfare state, social policy,Turkey