by mrtksn | 2025-09-30 18:05:33+00:00
So the pattern is, raise the tax on imports(tariffs) then pick champions that will not pay those taxes?

This is going to end horribly bad.

The level of government interference is at European levels but the shady kind - Turkish levels. No way the government is better at picking who to employ(the employment restrictions), no way the government is better at picking what company is more innovative(the favoritism through taxes). At first it will be good then it will become not as good and when you actually feel like its bad it will be irreversible.

Turks now have this in EVERY industry, that's why prices are higher than EU and the quality of everything dropped. Yes, shrinkflation etc affects the west too but Turkey is in this thing since 10 years or more because it is structural since abot that many years.

Since US is already very capitalistic the following doesn't apply but does rhyme because once the competition is gone or drops to unacceptable levels its basically the same dynamic: At first it started as government striking deals that initially increases the quality and reduces the prices. It was very evident with healthcare and education, at first you get special prices on govt favorite industries or companies. You get private education at cost that white collars can afford. You get private healthcare at reasonable prices, meanwhile the government transforms the public healthcare and education in unpopular ways but because everyone alert enough to see the problem can just use the private ones. At some point the public ones become unacceptable, then the private ones start rising the prices until they can squeeze everything that they can. At this time the private schools become so expensive that its cheaper to send your pupils to UK or US boarding school(this year it starts at around $10K for something that previously you'll get at public and anything that is above average is $25K-$60K a year).

It's the same with everything, some companies are allowed to flourish and once the competition is gone or no longer can provide services at the same level, prices increase the quality crashes(if no one can do mid range anymore, then you get mid range at premium prices).

Then they start taking your businesses away. I.e. there are many rules now but turn blind eye to certain practices in the industries, then one day someone with connections wants your business. Bam, you get a fine and constant monitoring until you sell or die.

At some point they even target small companies and startups for petty reasons. There was this Turkish entrepreneur who built a successful app business for fortune telling, he was using AI before it went mainstream 6 years ago. Grew the company, he was open that it's AI based etc. people loved the app as it is traditional for Turkish people to "read the coffee". Few months ago BAM, the guy taken in custody because of the law against some religious stuff(a relic law from the foundation of the country when they were trying to stop influence of sects etc.). There are cafe's everywhere doing fortune telling with coffee, its form of entertainment. There are other apps that are even doing partnerships with large favorited companies(AHA, interesting?) but its this guy who gets taken in. Since he made his fortune through this app, all his properties are taken away too as it is illegal money now. Since the government "owns" all the media, the news say that he tried to get his crime money out of the country(he was known that he is investing is some startups abroad). This last one made me scared. I'm not native born Turkish, so I know I don't understand everything about this country but this last thing made me re-think everything since my working theory was that if you don't venture in certain businesses and don't get involved into politics its going to be fine. I'm not so sure anymore.

Here's an article about it on Germany based site(I don't know their affiliation, possibly anti-Erdogan sect): https://turkishminute.com/2025/07/16/turkey-detains-faladdin...

another one:https://www.intellinews.com/beyond-the-bosporus-turbulence-i...

Here's an article from govt. aligned outlet: https://www.dailysabah.com/turkiye/investigations/turkiye-ar...

See the reporting difference?

Anyway, sure the implementation details will vary but that's where you are headed.