An analytical approach to sustainable development in Turkey

Sustainable development is meeting the expectations and necessities of the current era and future generations without making any sacrifices. The focus of the sustainable development concept is humankind. Humankind has the responsibility of protecting the environment it lives in, as much as it has the right to continue living a healthy productive life in harmony with nature. These responsibilities will be the main elements in determining continuity. With these aspects in mind, the research deals with the basic criteria predicted by Meadows on sustainable development. These criteria are divided into three: ‘sustainable’, ‘critical’ and ‘destructive’. The first element evaluated in these predicted criteria is the increase in population. From the pace of the population increase observed in Turkey, it can be said that Turkey affects the sustainable development in a ‘destructive’ way. Other criteria, such as economic development, deforestation rate, the area of the forests and the density of the population show an inclination towards the ‘critical area’. Turkey, in terms of its agricultural development, self‐sufficiency rate and urban population, is to be found in the sustainable development range.