TEPAV is Turkey's largest economic policy think tank established in 2004. It conducts cutting-edge policy research and analysis to inform policymaking processes. TEPAV also designs and implements projects to address regional economic development challenges and build cross-border cooperation. Its goal is to build bridges between different actors through knowledge production and multi-stakeholder initiatives.

1. tepav
The Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey
How TEPAV contributes to economic
policies?
Ozan Acar
Ankara, April 19, 2012

2. TEPAV as a think-do tank
The need for a think-do tank in Turkey
 After 2001 crisis, a successful macroeconomic reform program – but,
what next?
 Second generation reforms to manage transformation
(industrial policy/competitiveness, regional integration, education, health, social
policy, public administration, constitution…)
 Challenging policy choices in the EU accession process
 Especially affecting private sector activity
 New forms of engagement with the “region”
 Supporting regional economic integration, how?
 Capacity constraints in the public sector
 Need for civil society participation
 Working on regional disparity issues
 Participatory governance schemes

3. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Overview of TEPAV
 TEPAV – The Economic Policy Research
Foundation of Turkey
 Established 2004, largest economic policy think tank in
Turkey
 Supported by the Union of Chambers, funding sources
increasingly diversified
 Competitiveness, regional economic development,
international economic integration
 Self sustaining business model: a policy advisory
and consultancy services arm
 Multilaterals, government agencies and regional entities

4. TEPAV as a think-do tank
What we do at TEPAV con’t
 Focusing on policy analysis and establishing
platforms
 Cutting edge action research
 Playing a “connector” role, dialogue mechanisms
 Working extensively with public institutions and
the academia
 Enriching the information content of the public
policy debates related with our inter-disciplinary
research agenda
 Feeding policy-making process by translating
knowledge into solutions

5. TEPAV as a think-do tank
What makes TEPAV unique in Turkey
and surrounding region?
 Knowledge production
 A strong in-house research capacity
 An extensive network with academics and experts (based in the
campus of TOBB Economics and Technology University)
 Strong ties with the international organizations (The EU Comission,
World Bank Group, Islamic Development Bank, OECD, Brookings
Institution, CSIS, Aspen Institute)
 Knowledge distribution / dissemination
 Close contact with TOBB’s grassroots organizations (364 chambers
all around Turkey)
 Network with the public administration (Presidents Office, Speaker
of TBMM, Prime Ministry, various line agencies and ministries)
 Strong impact on the media (daily columns, press releases and
briefings)
 Diversified financial resources to sustain activities

6. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Some of our projects:
 Investment Climate Assessment (with the World Bank and
Treasury, 2006)
 Competition Environment Assessment (with the World Bank
and FIAS, 2006)
 Higher Education Sector Project (with the World Bank, 2007)
 Regulatory Impact Assessment Projects (EU-funded)
 Industrial Policy Document (with State Planning
Organization, 2006)
 Secretariat of the Competitiveness Council of Turkey (2007)
 Industrial Policy Design Project (for M of Industry &
Trade, 2008)
 Beceri 2010: Vocational training project for Ministry of Labor
and TOBB

7. Turkey’s economic transformation
Istanbul – Islamabad Railway
 A product of Istanbul Forum between Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkey
 A concrete project targeted at physical and institutional bottlenecks
RUSSIA
KAZAKHSTAN
 A direct link to Pakistan & India UZBEKISTAN
 A model of PPP that GERORGIA
may involve IPOs for financing
KYRGYZSTAN
TURKEY ARMENIA
İstanbul Ankara AZERBAIJAN
TURKMENISTAN
TAJIKISTAN
Kayseri
Malatya Tebriz
Van Lake
Ferry SYRIA Tahran
13 hours IRAN Islamabad
To be reduced to 6
LEBANON
AFGHANISTAN
hours in 2012
IRAQ Kapıköy Taftan – Quetta
Customs Old rails
ISRAEL 6 hours Esfehan 18- 36 hours
Quetta
Zahedan
SAUDI ARABIA
Kerman Taftan
Zahedan
Railway conversion: 6 hours Taftan PAKISTAN
INDIA
Rolling stock arrival: ?? days Customs
6 hours

8. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Samples of our recent activities at
national level
 Design of the new state-aid scheme
 With the Ministry of Economy
 Export strategy design for Turkey’s 81 provinces
 With the Undersecretary of Foreign Trade
 Regional competitiveness agenda framework and pilot
application
 With United Nations Development Program
 Value chain analysis on machinery and food industries
 With the Economy Ministry and Ulker Group
 Climate Change report
 Ministry of Environment

9. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Our regional activities
 In Turkey’s regions:
 Restructuring of Sanliurfa’s industry (2009)
 Manisa 2023 Vision (2009-2011)
 Increasing Female Labor Force Participation in Amasya (2010-2011)
 Mardin-Batman-Şırnak External Economic Environment Analysis (2010-2011)
 Erzurum Turkcell Call Center Economic Impact Analysis (2011)
 In Turkey’s surrounding region:
 Jenin Industrial Zone Project (2010 – present)
 Islamabad-Istanbul Railway Project (2011 – present)
 Armenia-Turkey Cross Border Cooperation Project (2010 – present)
• Caucasus Corridor Management Project
 Northern Cyprus Functional Review of the Government (2011)
 Advisory support to the Islamic Development Bank for Special Economic Zones
in Yemen, Mauritania and Benin (2011)
 Training and Research Institute for Public Policy (TRIPP) to deliver courses
targeting officials from the greater region

10. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Our modus operandi: Building bridges
 Building bridges
 Multi-actor initiatives (Constitution
platform)
 Conflict countries (Ankara Forum,
Istanbul Forum)
 Private sector and government
(DÖİK)
 Academia, media, and government
(round table discussions)
 Local administration and central
government (Regional development
initiatives)
 Labor unions and employer unions
(Tuzla)
 Government agencies in turf battles
(Industrial policy and UMEM)

11. Slide 11
2012 agenda: Constitution Platform – Turkey Speaks
 Turkey’s first and so far the biggest experiment in
deliberative democracy
 An endeavour to contribute to the parliamentary
process by organizing a series of citizens’ meetings
in many different provinces of Turkey
 The main question in 2007 was
“How to Make a New Constitution?”
 Today we face an even more challenging question:
“How to Solve Our Problems Through Constitutional
Dialogue?”
We are asking this question directly to citizens.

12. Slide 12
Citizens’ Meeting – Ankara – 8 Jan

13. Slide 13
Citizens’ Meeting – Ankara – 8 Jan
Participants are invited to deliberate the constitutional
framework for a common future. They are given the title
of Constitution Volunteers.

14. Slide 14
Citizens’ Meeting – Ankara – 8 Jan
Participants are asked to discuss the listed 1. Freedom of expression
constitutional issues about which they later and right to assembly
express their opinions through an electronic 2. Public services
3. Controlling and balancing
voting system. They can also communicate
political power
everything they consider to be left out of the 4. Accountability, responsiven
debate’s list. ess and transparency
5. Cohabitation of divergent
groups within the society
6. Governmental systems
7. State-religion relations
8. Nature and cultural
heritage
9. Local government
10. Elections and political
parties
11. Economic and social
rights, social/welfare state
and affirmative action

15. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Training and Research Institute for
Public Policy (TRIPP)
 Offers short-term courses mainly to
government officials from ECA and MENA
region on public policy
Hands-on approach
Policy-oriented curriculum
 A wide range of courses
 Works closely with the World Bank, IsDB,
ADB and TİKA

16. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Some of the courses that TRIPP
offers
 Public financial management
 Fiscal decentralization
 Improving the investment climate
 How to prepare and analyze citizen score
cards

17. Turkey’s economic transformation
TEPAV in the West Bank: Jenin Industrial Park
 TEPAV executes and coordinates the activities of the
Ankara Forum on behalf of TOBB
 Technical reports, network coordination and negotiations
 A institutional dialogue, problem solving and confidence
building mechanism among Palestinian, Israeli and
Turkish business communities.
 An industrial estate is under construction in Jenin.
 Opportunity for Turkish
businesses to move parts of
their value chains to lower
operation costs.
 More opportunities for the
growing Palestinian economy

18. Turkey’s economic transformation
Jenin
Industrial
Zone
(2009-2011)
Erez
Industrial
Estate
(2005-2007) Tarqumia
Industiral
Zone
(2007-2008)

19. Turkey’s economic transformation
Jenin Industrial Zone
Haifa Port
(40 km)
Jenin
Industrial
Zone
(876 dönüm)
Jordanian
Border
(35 km)

20. GEP Turkey Slide 20
Partners for a new Beginning
 Projects:
 TOBB: Chamber academy
 TOBB: Allworld Turkey 25
 CISCO: Spark for Women (IT &
entrepreneurship trainings)
 Coca-Cola: Grant program to support
woman entrepreneurs in Istanbul
 Intel & Youth for Habitat:
University entrepreneurship network
 Meetings:
 Kick-off: March 2011
 First summit: June 2011
 Secretay Clinton visit: July 2011
 Second summit: Dec 2, 2011 (Istanbul)

21. GEP Turkey Slide 21
Global Entrepreneurship Program Turkey:
Second Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship

22. GEP Turkey Slide 22
Global Entrepreneurship Program – Turkey
Program
Entrepreneurship Delegation: 12 American angel investors and
venture fund representatives to invest in Turkish start-ups
Angel and VC Network development
Media training on start-up news
Diagnostics on business incubators
Policy analysis
Next step: Organize Turkish delegations to Pakistan, Egypt and
Maghreb countries

23. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Growth has been challenging but a
testament to the need in Turkey
Number of TEPAV’s full-time staff
80
72
70 65
59
60
50 46
40
34
30
21
20
10 8
0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

24. TEPAV as a think-do tank
TEPAV Team: A mix of senior directors
and younger analysts
 Our HR goal: Creating a new career path in think-
tanking and policy analysis in Turkey
 Directors
 Senior Policy Analysts (+ program manager)
 Policy Analysts ( + project manager)
• Economic Policy Analyst
• Governance and Social Policy Analyst
• Foreign Policy Analyst
 Research Associates
 Interns and junior researchers

25. TEPAV as a think-do tank
Conclusions
 TEPAV is about building bridges
 This is why we are producing knowledge and designing projects
 Our function is to technicalize frozen conflicts
 Regional autonomy vs. efficiency trade-off
 Female labor force participation
 Israel-Palestine; Afghanistan-Pakistan, Armenia-Turkey; Kurdish
Question within Turkey…
 Major issue is human resource development in our area
 No area studies in Turkish universities
 Established International Business Department within the TOBB
University of Economics and Technology
• Slovanic Studies-Russian
• Near Eastern Studies-Arabic
 Building capacity for TEPAV public policy PhD.