Devletçilik

Devletçilik, or statism, is a political and economic doctrine that argues for substantial government involvement in the economy, including ownership or control of strategic sectors, economic planning, and social welfare programs. In Turkish political history, it became a defining feature of the early Republican period and is one of the Six Arrows of the Republican People’s Party (CHP), articulated under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk as a means to modernize the country and reduce foreign dependency.

Historically, devletçilik involved state-directed industrialization, public enterprises, and state-led infrastructure development—such as railways, energy, and banking—alongside protective economic policies. The aim was to build a self-sustaining national economy and to guide development through central planning rather than leaving major decisions to private capital alone.

After the 1950s, Turkey gradually liberalized its economy, shifting away from the more expansive statism of the early republic. Nonetheless, the term continues to describe a policy stance that favors state involvement in strategic sectors or macroeconomic planning in various periods. In contemporary Turkish political discourse, devletçilik is used to describe or critique approaches that prioritize public ownership and government-led development versus market-oriented reform, reflecting ongoing debates about the balance between the state and the market.