Does “Embeddedness” Create Miracles? The Case of the “Anatolian Tigers” in Turkey

Drawing on different forms of embeddedness, this study critically examines the so-called economic miracles in the Anatolian region of Turkey, which are commonly known as the Anatolian Tigers. By decomposing the stories of the Anatolian Tigers as new loci of economic growth since 1990s, forms of embeddedness illustrate the spatioinstitutional factors affecting both economic and noneconomic realms with varying distillations from local institutional assets. These conditions became instrumental for both collectivizing interests of the leading local capitalists and disguising the negative consequences of the rapidly industrializing and urbanizing cities of Anatolia. Through open ended in-depth interviews conducted with leading actors in the cities of Anatolia, content analysis of the available resources published by local organizations and media, this study illustrates the role of multiple forms of embedding mechanisms that orchestrated “fragile” local economic miracles in Turkey.