The Turkish economy has exploded in size in the past decade. Since 2002 it has nearly quadrupled, according to US think tank the Brookings Institution. It remained virtually unscathed when the global financial crisis hit, as investors looked to emerging markets for better returns than they could get in the West.
But 2013 was different. It began with more steady, healthy growth. Then, midway through the year, huge demonstrations against prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) coincided with announcements from the US Federal Reserve over changes in its tapering strategy that would have an impact on all emerging markets including Turkey.
