Kamuözel

Kamuözel is a term that appears in Turkish policy, academic, and media discourse to describe a blending or interface between public and private sectors. It is not an official legal category with a single fixed definition, but rather a way of referring to arrangements in which public authorities and private actors collaborate in the design, funding, implementation, or management of services and assets.

Etymology of the term comes from the Turkish words kamu (public) and özel (private). The word is used to capture situations where public objectives are pursued with involvement from private entities, or where private resources participate under public oversight and regulation.

Usage and contexts of kamuözel include public-private partnerships in infrastructure and service delivery, outsourcing of public functions, and regulatory or governance models that mix public authority with private participation. It can denote arrangements where private financing or expertise complements public planning, while the public sector maintains oversight, standards, and accountability.

Characteristics and mechanisms often associated with kamuözel arrangements include risk-sharing between public and private partners, performance-based contracts, private finance or expertise combined with public regulatory frameworks, and mechanisms intended to ensure public accountability and transparency. Supporters argue such models can improve efficiency, innovation, and service delivery; critics raise concerns about long-term costs, accountability, and the prioritization of private interests over the public good.

See also: public-private partnership, privatization, outsourcing, hybrid governance. The term kamuözel is most commonly encountered in discussions of governance models, policy reform, and debates over the role of private actors in public services.