TURKEY

Problems faced by ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities are serious concerns in Turkey.

Parties must win 10 percent of the national vote to reach parliament, hampering pro-Kurdish parties. Kurds and other minorities suffer frequent civil rights infringements.

Oligopolistic television and radio groups have indirect financial ties to the state, and show pronounced biases in coverage.

Bureaucratic malpractice, partisan judicial appointments, and outright corruption undermine the rule of law.

Despite respectable economic growth, unemployment remains problematic.

Economic competitiveness has improved substantially, though businesses still face much red tape.

Taxes are high, particularly for a low-income country. Informal employment and tax evasion are widespread.

Following serious deficits, government budgets have neared balance. Future social security obligations threaten stability.

Poverty is still a significant social ill in Turkey, with gaping economic disparities between the wealthy west and poorer east.

Universal health insurance was established in 2006, but suffers from infrastructure deficiencies and rising costs.

Family policy is minimal, and the employment rate among women low. Child care is often provided by family members.

Pension payments are extremely small, often below the poverty line. In 2006, however, a law was introduced to address actuarial imbalances in the retirement system.

A critical, and often tense, geopolitical crossroads, Turkey has long seen the military play an influential role in society.

The army has joined multilateral peacekeeping missions, and has diminished the threat of Kurdish guerrillas at home.

The country has no real integration policy. Until 2003, many occupations were reserved for Turkish citizens. However, bias against foreigners is relatively low.

Economic concerns have always taken priority over environmental concerns in Turkey.

The EU harmonization process has brought some environmental progress, but stronger regulations and higher spending are needed.

Public R&D spending is still very low, although it has grown considerably since 2005.

Although many high-quality schools exist, overall schooling and literacy rates are low by OECD standards.

Recent strategic planning has been externally driven, focused on the EU membership process and the abatement of Turkey's IMF debt.

The prime minister coordinates ministry activity, and supervises implementation of the government's policy. RIAs are not typically applied.

Governments do consult with external interests, but groups say their perspectives are often ignored.

Communication is typically more coherent in economic, social and foreign policy matters than on cultural issues.

Legislative efficiency was very high in the period under review, with all government-sponsored bills adopted in parliament.

Ideological clashes led the president to veto a record number of government bills.

Financial or technical shortcomings have hampered the implementation of many laws.

Turkey has vigorously sought to adapt domestic government structures to EU requirements.

The country has facilitated post-9/11 dialogue between Islamic and non-Islamic nations, and its secular democratic path has been closely watched across the Middle East.

However, Turkey has largely followed, rather than led, in the propagation of reforms.

No regular process for monitoring institutional arrangements exists.

Changes are typically motivated by practical and political concerns, rather than the desire to improve strategic capacity.

Turkish citizens' understanding of government policy is on average low, with little in-depth policy analysis broadcast on radio or TV.

The legislature can obtain information from the government, but is not equipped to monitor ministries effectively.

Business and professional groups are influential, typically making reasonable proposals. Unions are not as influential.