The Global Development of Cooperativism And The Distinctiveness of The Turkish Experience: A Comparative Analysis
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63556/tisej.2026.1947Keywords:
Cooperativism, History of Cooperativism, Modern Cooperativism, Cooperativism in Turkiye, Rural DevelopmentAbstract
Cooperative movement is not only a business model operating for economic purposes in the modern world but also a form of social organization based on solidarity, democratic participation, self-help, and the concept of mutual benefit. This study examines the emergence of cooperativism as an idea worldwide, its institutionalization around modern cooperative principles, and the unique form it has taken within the context of state, development, and rural modernization policies in Turkiye, within the framework of a historical analysis. The primary objective of the study is to elucidate the social and economic conditions under which the idea of cooperativism developed globally, the stages it underwent to transform into an institutional structure, and the unique conditions under which it took shape in Turkiye. Designed as a qualitative historical assessment based on a literature review, the study addresses the history of cooperativism, utopian socialism, modern principles of cooperativism, the Rochdale and Raiffeisen models, and the development process of cooperativism in Turkiye from the Ottoman era to the present. The study reveals that while cooperativism in Western Europe developed largely in line with grassroots-driven efforts toward solidarity, self-help, and democratic organization, in Turkiye it took shape to a significant extent under state leadership, intertwined with policies of agricultural development, rural modernization, and economic organization. Within this framework, cooperativism is evaluated not only as a historical model of solidarity but also as a dynamic form of organization that acquires varying meanings across different social and political contexts. The study demonstrates that cooperativism retains its significance today in discussions regarding the social economy, solidarity economy, local development, and social entrepreneurship.
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