Locating Turkey's active labour market policies within activation typologies :|enabling or workfarist?

Abstract

Labour market activation has emerged as a significant research area in the social policy literature due to the relevant policy developments of the last decades throughout the world. In Turkey, labour market activation mechanisms, including ALMP (active labour market policy) programmes, have also gained momentum in the policy framework, particularly in the last decade. This study explores the workfarist and enabling elements of ALMP and other activating labour market policy programmes of Turkey within the analytical framework put forth by Dingeldey (2007) and locates the case of Turkey in the activation typologies developed by Barbier (2004a) and Serrano Pascual (2007a). As the literature on activation typologies disregards the implementation dimension, the methodology of the study incorporates the thematic analysis of the 13 semi-structured in-depth interviews conducted with İŞKUR officials and the content analysis of legal and policy documents regarding labour market activation in Turkey. The findings of the study reveal that ALMP and other activating labour market policy programmes of Turkey are stronger in their workfarist elements than in their enabling elements in comparison. Nonetheless, workfarist elements are not implemented coercively and systematically due to several institutional factors. Regarding the activation typologies, it is asserted that the case of Turkey diverges from the ideal types, but it is closer to the liberal type within the typology developed by Barbier (2004a) and the economic springboard regime within the typology developed by Serrano Pascual (2007a) when compared to the other types.