The concept of “strategic autonomy” is among the top agenda topics of all the leading economies of the world, especially the European Union and the United States. The economic-political understanding marketed by global neoliberal circles through the “Globalization 2.0” model had the first blow in the 2008 global financial crisis, the second blow in the COVID-19 pandemic and took the final blow due to the global and regional consequences caused by the Russia-Ukraine War.
Extreme liberal trade and over-dependent economy marketed to the world with this understanding, if we go into the details, have clearly demonstrated how serious of a risk, even threat, the concept of overdependence poses in industrial sectors with strategic features such as machinery, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies, mining and metals, as well as food and energy. For this reason, the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act and the EU’s green agreement aim to reduce dependence and encourage self-sufficiency in critical sectors, food and energy.
Suppose strategic autonomy prioritizes autonomy in strategic products and sectors such as agriculture-food, energy, defense, transportation-logistics and mining-metals. In that case, the way to achieve this goal is to focus on green transformation, such as solar, wind, hydro, geo and bioenergy, to concentrate on renewable energy opportunities, to reinforce the deterrent power with national and domestic (“Yerli ve milli” in Turkish) projects, weapons and ammunition in defense; to double the transportation mobs and port capacity for a strong trade network; and to eliminate disinformation about investments in the mining-metal field.
Furthermore, it is equally important to protect and develop arable lands and clean water resources, to create a production and supply system aimed at zero waste and net-zero carbon, and to fully implement the elements of the circular economy. The establishment of the U.N. Zero Waste Advisory Board led by first lady Emine Erdoğan, who has spearheaded Türkiye’s Zero Waste efforts and the nation’s pioneer role in this significant global project, holds immense value.
Türkiye’s commitment to fostering a circular economy and adopting a zero waste-oriented input-output mechanism in all sectors is a significant step toward combating inflation and holds immense value for the country’s economic stability. Creating cyclical economic conditions in the 27 sub-sectors of agriculture-food, energy, manufacturing industry, energy and mining sectors also means that the Turkish economy’s dependence on imports will decrease and thus, the current account deficit will shrink. Accordingly, whichever countries successfully realize the circular economy globally will have taken a significant leap in terms of strategic autonomy. At this point, waste management and technologies, indispensable for the circular economy, also stand out as the most indispensable investment areas and professions of the coming period.
Waste technologies, in which Türkiye will work with friendly and allied countries such as Azerbaijan and South Korea, production and supply of rare earth elements and rare metals from used products and different mines, will again be the top priority research-development and investment area. At this point, it will be necessary to follow the circular economy-oriented research and development (R&D) studies and investment areas in the leading G-7 economies such as the U.S., EU and Japan.
The investment sizes pronounced on a global scale show that a circular economy investment of $1.3 trillion is planned, starting with the G-7 economies. Circular economy investments within the global private sector turnover of $35 trillion reached 2%, or $700 billion. The expectation for 2023 is $800 billion. Türkiye should obtain a serious share of this market, which is walking toward achieving $1 trillion.
