The Small And Medium-Sized Enterprises Within The Process Of Turkey's Integration To European Patent System

This thesis analyzes Turkey's integration to European Patent System with special reference to the role of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) within this process. The main purpose is to understand the position of SMEs in Turkey within the industrial property (IP) system in general, patent system in particular, as their effective usage of the IP system is crucial in terms of proper integration of Turkey into the European Patent System. In this respect, the thesis aims to answer two basic questions, namely,"What is the role of SMEs within the process of Turkey's integration to European Patent System"and"How can a more effective use of patent system by the SMEs in Turkey be achieved?"Within this framework, a field research was conducted in three different industrial areas in Ankara with 136 SMEs active in manufacturing industry. Within the scope of the field research, it was tried to measure the R&D capacity as well as the extent to which the industrial property system, especially the patent system, in Turkey is effectively used by the participant firms.According to the results of the field research, some proposals were tried to be put forward in terms of the achievement of a more effective use of the industrial property system in general, patent system in particular, by the SMEs in Turkey.