Analysis of the Digitization Process of Turkish Public Administration Based on the Perspective of Digital Government Index and E-Government Development Index

Abstract

Considering that modern states began with the collapse of feudalism in the 15th and 16th centuries, states have assumed very different functions in the process up to today. Parallel to this, the delivery of public services has evolved in the context of the advances brought by technology. In this context, the study first discusses the shift from traditional to digital states in general terms. Then, Turkey's digitalization process was examined and information about the Digital Transformation Office established within the Presidency was included. Data from WASEDA University's "Digital State Index" and the United Nations' "E-Government Development Index" were also collected and analyzed. The main purpose of the study is to evaluate Turkey's place in the world using the WASEDA Digital State Index and to compare it with other countries. In addition, based on the United Nations E-Government Development Index, the distribution of "e-government development, e-participation, online service index, telecommunication infrastructure index and human capital indexes" according to years was analyzed comparatively. Examining Turkey's digitalization process in the light of different index data makes this study unique and important. The study used a descriptive method and statistical data, and it was found that Turkey has made significant progress in its digitalization process over the past 20 years. The study's main conclusion is that digitalization is a paradigm shift in Turkish public administration, as it allows for the online delivery of public services regardless of location, reduces bureaucratic obstacles, brings speed and flexibility and facilitates the work of citizens.