Economic Research Forum (ERF)

Cevat Giray Aksoy

Author

Cevat Giray Aksoy
Senior Research Economist, Office of the Chief Economist at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Cevat Giray is a Senior Research Economist in the Office of the Chief Economist at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and Assistant Professor of Economics at King’s College London, Department of Political Economy. He is also a Research Fellow at London School of Economics and Research Associate at IZA Institute of Labor Economics. His current research focuses on forced migration (effects on host communities and self-selection of refugees), the political economy of trust (confidence in leaders and governments, civic values, and attitudes towards democratic institutions) and economic inclusion (earnings inequalities and access to banking services). His research has been covered by over 100 media outlets, including BBC, Bloomberg, Business Insider, Financial Times, Forbes, Fortune Magazine, Harvard Business Review, Mirror, Reuters, The Daily Mail, The Independent, The New York Times, The Telegraph, The Times, Quartz, Vox, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and World Economic Forum. He is the recipient of the Young Researcher Award from the Association of British Turkish Academics and was selected as a Leader of Tomorrow by The St. Gallen Foundation. He also occasionally contributes to Pocket Economics podcasts and write for GALLUP Blog, LSE Business Review, and VOXEU.

Content by this Author

What is the likely impact of the earthquakes on economic growth in Türkiye?

The earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria in February 2023 have caused widespread destruction and loss of life. As explained in this column, originally published at the Economic Observatory, experiences from a previous earthquake suggest that the impact on GDP in Türkiye is likely to be short-lived, as public spending on reconstruction will provide a substantial economic boost.

The benefits of year-round daylight saving time: evidence from Turkey

Ever since Benjamin Franklin’s observation in the late eighteenth century that people wasted daylight by sleeping after sunrise and squandered wax by burning candles in the evening, energy conservation has been the main motivation for governments to follow ‘daylight saving time’ (DST). Using Turkey’s recent decision to extend DST to the whole year, this column summarises new evidence on how DST affects the consumption and generation of electricity, and related greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis suggests that while total consumption is unchanged, emissions may have gone down due to the policy change.

Life satisfaction in Arab countries

How do people in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia feel about their lives? Summarising analysis of data collected in nationally representative surveys, this column highlights three core messages about their reported health, happiness and views of the future.

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The political economy of stalled structural reforms in MENA

There is a persistent pattern to the structural reforms that are required to underpin economic progress in the countries of the Middle East and North Africa: ambitious strategies are announced and partially implemented, but ultimately they are diluted or reversed. This column argues that the repeated stalling of reform is not primarily a failure of economic design. Rather, it reflects deep-seated political economy constraints rooted in rent dependence, elite bargaining and weak institutional credibility. Without addressing these underlying dynamics, reform efforts are likely to remain symbolic rather than transformative.

Untapped talent, unrealised growth: jobs and women in the MENAAP region

Only around one in five women of working age participate in the labour markets of the Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan and Pakistan. As this column explains, the region can no longer afford to leave half its human capital underused. Expanding women’s labour force participation is central to growth and resilience in the face of looming demographic change.

Closing the gender gap in political participation in MENA

Women across the Middle East and North Africa participate less than men in politics – not only in political parties and elections, but also in petitions, boycotts, protests and strikes. This column reports evidence from ten countries showing that differences in education, employment and political attitudes explain part of this disparity, yet a significant gender gap remains.

Labour demand and informal employment in Egypt’s manufacturing sector

Egypt’s manufacturing sector faces a dual challenge of weak job creation and persistent informality. Drawing on survey evidence on business behaviour and labour market dynamics, this column explains why job creation is limited and informal work remains such an integral part of how firms organise production. The generation of more formal jobs requires a comprehensive policy approach, one that goes beyond enforcement of labour regulations to reshape the economic environment in which firms and workers make decisions.




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