Cloud computing is a novel phenomenon that paves the way for provisioning of infinitely scalable, re-usable, multi-purpose, flexible, cost-saving, efficient and customizable on-demand information technology services and products. This paper aims at providing an analysis of cloud computing in Turkey by exploring the players and the domestic patterns of cloud system. As cloud computing is very new in Turkey, the potential reflection of opportunities and challenges identified by the European Union makes the basis of this study. This paper is an output of a new research on Turkish cloud system and contributes to the literature as one of the first comers.

The promise of competitiveness that clouds offer to enterprises creates a substantial part of the cloud phenomenon. 2010 European Union report on cloud computing identifies the strong commercial nature of clouds and addresses new policies and actions for the competitiveness of European industry. Today, European Union attributes competitiveness to the smart growth of SMEs. The concept of smart growth is based on effective policies that foster innovation and capability to adopt the dynamics of information society. This paper aims at exploring the policymaking methods for cloud computing that will serve to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs. It analyses the dynamics of Turkish policy-making and discusses the role of EU policies in a candidate country as the motivators of migration to clouds. It is an output of an ongoing research on cloud computing in Turkey. This paper contributes to the literature as being one of the first studies on policy-making for cloud computing. It provides a twofold policy tool proposed for policy-makers. First, it identifies the dynamics of policy-making by adapting the model of Van Schendelen's general categories of decision buttons for EU lobbying to the Turkish policy-making mechanisms. Secondly, it detects the main patterns of cloud computing policy under five priority areas as a check list for policy-makers.

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This article focuses on multi level governance (MLG) in Turkey by examining EU pre-accession funds by developing an interdisciplinary, multidimensional approach integrating vertical and horizontal relations at different levels of governance with the main principles (concentration; programming; partnership and additionality) of EU structural funds. It analyzes the dual governance structure on the efficient utilization of EU funds allocated to 191 municipality and local authority projects executed under two calls covering seven NUTS II regions and twenty cities in Turkey and demonstrates the differences in efficiency levels by using an empirical approach. Results show that pre-accession funds promote the formation of an EU-model MLG structure by generating new forms of relations among the authorities at different levels. KEYWORDS: • multi-level governance • efficiency analysis • DEA • EU pre-accession funds • Turkey