I do not remember hearing of any completed reform related to the EU accession since 2006 except the ban on smoking.

My last commentary concluded that "Countries can be grouped in two categories, those dealing mainly with the issues of the current century, and those unable to let go of the issues of the previous generations." I stated that global firms now follow good customers, not solely cheap labor. Therefore, more mergers and acquisitions can be expected to take place among Turkish firms. But I underlined that it is quite difficult for Turkey, which has failed to overcome the nineteenth century agenda, to become a target country for global firms. In my last commentary I simply asked, "Is Turkey ready for this? Not exactly." Today let me continue.

Which countries attract global firms? Those which have promising medium-term growth performances. But is Turkey one of those? According to Citibank economists Willem Buiter and Ebrahim Rahbari, it is not. In a study published in February 2011, Buiter and Rahbari identified 11 3G countries of the world for the 2010-2050 period. First the meaning: 3G stands for "Global Growth Generator" countries. These are Bangladesh, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Mongolia, Nigeria, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. How about that. While we were hoping that we could add a T for Turkey to the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India, China), they have come up with a different set of countries.

First let me stress three points that the mentioned study made me think. First, evidently, it is not that Turkey will suffer because it is not on Buiter and Rahbari's list. However, when it comes to growth performance, Turkey is not among the countries that attract attention. Here perception management on a global scale gains importance, as also is evident from the Student Selection and Placement Center (ÖSYM) scandal. In the final stages of his work on the Selimiye Mosque, the Great Architect Sinan saw some children looking at the minarets and discussing one of them. He stopped to learn what the issue was. One of them said, "we were talking about how one of the minarets on the right leans to the left." Upon this answer, Sinan did not dismiss their opinion as childish or think "this must be the work of Ergenekon." Instead, he told the workers to throw a rope over the minaret. Then he stood beside the child who had spoken, pulling the rope supposedly to ­ straighten the minaret, on the one hand,  and, on the other hand, asking the child if it had become straightened. When the child said it was okay, he removed the rope and completed the operation. Here lies the difference: Sinan knew the trick; our administrators do not. Not only in the affair of the ÖSYM, but in everything. This is the first point to state.

The second one: the countries on the list are more populated and poorer compared to Turkey. It is easier to pick matured fruits from accessible branches. And it is easily picked matured fruits that international investors care about. According to the authors, Brazil and Russia are not on the list as there are few matured fruits that can be picked easily and as new opportunities of profit require radical institutional reforms about which the mentioned countries act reluctantly. Just like Turkey. This is the second point.

The third point follows the second one: Turkey is approaching the end of a dynamic growth period based on internal migration. The performance of Turkey in the 2010-2050 period will be dependent on the renewal of the institutional infrastructure. The European Union accession process implies institutional renewal. The ruling government took successful steps when it assumed office in 2002; but I do not remember hearing of any completed reform related to the EU accession since 2006 except the ban on smoking.

While we have been busy fighting each other, we have been losing Turkey's future. I will continue.

This commentary was published in Radikal daily on 26.04.2011