After World War II, Turkey experienced a drastic change in economic, social and political aspects. As Turkey approached the western states in this process, it sought to rebuild its political and economic system on the Western model. The most important topic of that period was economy. Discussions on the economic problems that emerged during the war expanded rapidly and led to a comprehensive debate on economic policy, which was implemented after the proclamation of the Republic. In this period in which attempts were made to reshape the Turkish economy, the capitalists and academics did not stay away from these discussions. At the Turkish Economic Congress gathered under the leadership of Turkish investors, the statism and liberalism, the main topic concerning economy, were discussed too. How capital and academic circles perceived liberalism at the Turkish Economic Congress is discussed in this study in the light of the lectures presented at the congress. Statism and state intervention were two of the most important items on the agenda in the Turkish Economy Congress held under the leadership of the Istanbul Association of Merchants between the dates of 22- 27 November 1948. Liberalism became a frequently discussed issue during discussions about statism in the Congress. This study aims to evaluate discussions about liberalism together with statism and state intervention in the Turkish Economy Congress, and to describe how the concept of liberalism was perceived in the capital and academic circles based on the presentations made in the Congress.
Keywords: Turkey, Economy, Liberalism, Etatism, Ahmet Hamdi Başar.
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