Introduction

This report presents a comprehensive assessment of Turkish sovereignty using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is considered in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military.

Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.), without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) forms the Cumulative Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust the statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a common 10-question questionnaire with a 10-point scale with one open question. In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and expert specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used to bring all the data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final value of the index is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates. Below is an analysis in each area, a final summary table and the main conclusions about the strengths and weaknesses of Turkish sovereignty.

Political sovereignty — 62.1

Argentina demonstrates a high degree of political independence, maintaining full control over its territory. There are no foreign military bases in the country, despite the status of the "main non-NATO ally" of the United States since 1998.

The only facility with foreign participation is the deep space communications station in Neuquen (China), which has a dual purpose, but is not formally a military base. Argentina is not subject to UN Security Council sanctions, which confirms its compliance with international law.

Participation in UN peacekeeping operations is moderate — 189 military personnel (2025), which is 2.23 per million population. The country ranks 51st in the world in terms of the number of peacekeepers, participating in missions in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and Western Sahara (MINURSO). This reflects a balanced approach to international obligations without over-involvement.

Political and administrative institutions function with average efficiency. E-Government Index (EGDI) The UN is 0.857 (2024), which indicates a well-developed system of digital public services. The World Bank estimates the effectiveness of the government at -0.40 (on a scale of -2.5...+2.5), reflecting serious administrative challenges.

Political stability is at a moderate level (-0.13), while the violent crime rate remains relatively low. Corruption control remains a weak point (-0.36), despite periodic anti-corruption campaigns.

The "Voice and Accountability" indicator is positive (+0.53), reflecting democratic freedoms and political competition, albeit with certain limitations in recent years.

Data completeness assessment: Key indicators of political sovereignty are available from global sources (UN, World Bank), providing 95% coverage. Some indicators need to be updated for 2024.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• How to improve the efficiency of public administration in conditions of economic instability?

• Which anti-corruption mechanisms are most applicable in the Argentine context?

Economic sovereignty 49.8

Argentina's economic sovereignty is characterized by a combination of structural strengths and cyclical challenges. GDP per capita by PPP is about $30,176 (2024), which classifies the country as an upper-middle-income country.

The economy went through a difficult period with a decline of 1.7% in 2024 due to stabilization programs, but there were signs of recovery in the third and fourth quarters. The key achievement was a radical improvement in the fiscal position: the budget balance reached -0.2% of GDP in September 2024 after years of deficits.

International reserves amount to $30.5 billion (May 2025), covering 3.6 months of imports — an acceptable but not optimal level. The national debt has reached $460.1 billion (85.3% of GDP), which creates long-term sustainability risks. Trade openness is moderate — 32.08% of GDP (exports 16.78% + imports 15.30%), which ensures a balance between integration and autonomy. The country has achieved a trade surplus of $18.9 billion after years of deficits, mainly due to agricultural exports.

Dependence on external aid is minimal (0.06% of GNI), emphasizing economic independence. Food security is Argentina's strong point. The country produces 130% of its grain needs, being a major exporter of wheat, corn and soybeans. The share of food in imports is only 9.08%, which is significantly lower than the global average. Export diversification is moderate, with an HHI index of about 0.15-0.20, although agricultural products dominate.

Data completeness assessment: The main macro indicators are obtained from official sources (World Bank, IMF, CEIC), providing 92% coverage. Individual indicators need to be clarified from specialized databases.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• How can we support economic growth while maintaining fiscal discipline?

• Which export diversification measures are most promising for reducing dependence on commodities?

Technological sovereignty 48.1

Technological sovereignty is the most vulnerable area for Argentina. Spending on research and development accounts for only 0.5-0.6% of GDP (2020-2022), one of the lowest rates in Latin America. Patent activity is critically low: only 0.5 PCT patents per million inhabitants (2023), the country ranks 77th in the world in this indicator.

The digital infrastructure is developing unevenly. 88.4% of the population has Internet access (2024), which is a good indicator for the region. The number of fixed broadband subscribers is 8.17 million (Q1 2024), with connection speeds reaching 86.34 Mbit/s for fixed and 61.01 Mbit/s for mobile Internet. However, international bandwidth remains limited relative to the number of users.

Human capital in the technological sphere has potential, but it faces systemic problems. Enrollment in higher education is formally 107% (including age cohorts), but 73% of students do not complete their studies — one of the worst rates in the world. The share of STEM graduates is estimated at 20-25% of the total, which is not enough for a technological breakthrough.

A critical problem is dependence on imports of high—tech equipment: 66.7% of all imports ($50 billion annually) are in the HS84-85 categories (electronics and mechanical engineering). At the same time, high-tech exports account for only 5.45% of industrial exports, creating a huge technological imbalance.

Data completeness assessment: Key metrics are derived from UNESCO, ITU, WIPO and trade statistics, providing 88% coverage of indicators.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• What strategy will increase investments in R&D under budget constraints?

• How to reduce university dropout rates and improve the quality of STEM education?

Information sovereignty 61.4

Argentina demonstrates a moderate level of information sovereignty with developing cybersecurity capabilities. The National CERT-AR functions with sufficient maturity under the direction of the National Directorate for Cybersecurity.

In the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index, the country is at Tier 4 (Evolving) out of 5 possible (2024), and the National Cybersecurity Index is 60% (January 2024). The Internet infrastructure is not well developed for a country of this size. There are only 29 Internet traffic exchange points (IXPs), or 0.2 per 10 million people, mainly concentrated in CABASE (Buenos Aires).

The number of autonomous systems is 1,311, or 28.4 per million people, which provides moderate network autonomy. The media space is characterized by the dominance of the Spanish language (90-95% of content) and a high concentration of private property.

75-80% of the media market is controlled by private companies, while Grupo Clarín occupies 25% of the national audience, and the four largest media holdings collectively control 46.25% of the market. State-owned media accounts for 20-25% through Televisión Pública, Radio Nacional and the RTA network, but only 35% of Argentines trust the public broadcaster's news.

Weaknesses include the low density of the IXP infrastructure, which increases dependence on international transit and creates vulnerabilities for external traffic control. The high concentration of media ownership also poses risks to information pluralism.

Data completeness assessment: Infrastructure indicators are obtained from ITU, PeeringDB and national regulators, providing 90% coverage.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• What measures are needed to develop IXP infrastructure in regions outside of Buenos Aires?

• How to ensure a balance between media freedom and preventing excessive concentration of media ownership?

Cultural sovereignty 86.7

Argentina's cultural sovereignty shows a contrasting picture: rich heritage and traditions are facing a crisis of modern cultural production. The UNESCO World Heritage List includes 12 tangible objects and 1 element of intangible heritage (tango, together with Uruguay), which confirms the international recognition of Argentine culture.

Publishing remains relatively active, producing 603 book titles per million people annually (27,700 titles in 2020), which corresponds to the average level of developed countries. Traditional cultural practices such as tango, mate culture, asado, and folklore festivals remain highly significant in society, although accurate data on population participation is lacking.

However, cinema is experiencing an unprecedented crisis: in 2024, not a single film was approved for production through the INCAA (National Institute of Film and Audiovisual Arts) as a result of industry restructuring. For comparison, 170 films were produced in 2012.

This means 0 films per 10 million people, a catastrophic figure for a country with rich cinematic traditions. Government spending on culture has been reduced as part of fiscal austerity programs, and accurate data requires access to the SINCA specialized database.

The trade balance in cultural goods is presumably negative, given the dominance of imported content in film and music. Attendance at cultural institutions decreased after the pandemic and the economic crisis.

Data completeness assessment: UNESCO and national statistics indicators provide 75% coverage, and many indicators require access to specialized databases.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• How can national film production be restored after the crisis of 2024?

• What mechanisms of cultural support are compatible with the fiscal stabilization program?

Cognitive sovereignty 68.2

Argentina's cognitive sovereignty is characterized by high formal education coverage with serious problems with quality and effectiveness. The Human Development Index (HDI) is 0.865 (2023), placing the country in 48th place in the world, a category of very high human development. This reflects historical achievements in education and healthcare. Investments in education amount to 4.81% of GDP (2022), which corresponds to UNESCO recommendations (4-6% of GDP).

Adult literacy is almost universal — 99%, one of the best indicators in Latin America. Enrollment in higher education formally reaches 107% (taking into account all age groups), while among women the figure is 140%, which indicates a gender imbalance in favor of women. However, the quality of education is of serious concern. In the PISA 2022 international testing,

Argentine schoolchildren showed extremely poor results: mathematics — 378 points (OECD: 472), reading — 401 (OECD: 476), science — 406 (OECD: 485). Only 27% of students achieve a basic level of mathematical literacy, compared to 69% in OECD countries. The most critical problem is that 73% of students do not complete university education, one of the worst rates in the world.

This means huge losses of human capital and inefficiency of educational investments. Brain drain increases during periods of economic crisis, although accurate data is not available. National training programs are localized, but require modernization to meet modern requirements.

Data completeness assessment: Education indicators are available from UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, providing 90% coverage.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• What structural reforms are needed to reduce university dropout rates?

• How to improve the quality of school education with limited resources?

Military sovereignty 52.4

Argentina's military sovereignty is at a critically low level, reflecting decades of underfunding and a lack of strategic defense priority. Military spending is only 0.47% of GDP (2023), one of the lowest rates not only in the region, but also in the world. The growth rate of the military budget is negative or zero (-2% to 0% in 2022-2024), which means further degradation of the defense potential.

The armed forces number 128,000 troops, or 2.8 per 1,000 population, while there are no formal reserves — a unique situation for a country of this size. In the Global Firepower Index 2025, Argentina ranks 33rd out of 145 countries (PowerIndex: 0.6013), behind Brazil (11th place) and Mexico (31st place) in the region.

The military-industrial complex retains limited capabilities through Fabricaciones Militares, the FADEA aircraft factory, the TANDANOR shipyard and the CITEFA research center. Localization of production is estimated at 15-25% of defense purchases, the rest is imported.

The diversification of arms imports is moderate — 5-7 suppliers, which reduces the risks of unilateral dependence, but the total volume of purchases is minimal. Border control is provided by the National Gendarmerie of 31,000 people on 9,665 km of land borders — about 3.2 people per kilometer, which is an acceptable indicator. Naval forces and aviation are in critical condition due to outdated equipment and lack of modernization.

Data completeness assessment: Data from SIPRI, Global Firepower and national sources provide 85% coverage of indicators.

Possible questions for expert discussion:

• What is the minimum level of military spending required to ensure basic defense capability?

• Is it possible to restore the defense potential without prejudice to social programs?

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths: food security, fiscal stabilization, democratic institutions, cultural heritage. Argentina is showing impressive fiscal balance recovery (-0.2% of GDP after years of deficits) and trade surplus ($18.9 billion). The absence of foreign military bases confirms territorial sovereignty. The production of 130% of the grain demand ensures food independence and export revenues. Literacy rate of 99% and HDI of 0.865 reflect historical achievements in human development. The rich cultural heritage (12 UNESCO sites, tango) preserves the national identity.

Weaknesses: technological backwardness, quality of education, military weakness, cultural and industrial crisis. Critically low R&D costs (0.5% of GDP) and minimal patent activity (0.5 PCT patents per million) block innovative development. Dependence on imports of high-tech equipment reaches 66.7% of all imports. The catastrophic PISA results (20-25% lower than the OECD) and 73% university dropouts undermine human capital. Military spending of 0.47% of GDP poses risks to national security. The complete collapse of film production (0 films in 2024) symbolizes the depth of the cultural crisis.

Overall assessment. The total index of Argentina's sovereignty is 428.7 out of 700 possible points (an average of 61.2%), which places the country in the middle segment of the global ranking. The data show that Argentina is a sovereign State with serious structural imbalances, preserving its political independence and natural advantages, but losing its competitiveness in the technological and educational spheres.

The sovereignty profile indicates the need for urgent structural reforms in education (reducing dropout rates, improving quality), technology (increasing R&D, developing innovation), defense (restoring minimal combat capability) and culture (reviving national film production). At the same time, it is important to maintain the achieved fiscal stability and food benefits.

Strategic priorities should include: radical reform of higher education to reduce dropout rates from 73% to an acceptable 30-40%; increased investment in R&D to at least 1% of GDP through public-private partnerships; restoration of basic defense capability through modernization of critical systems; revival of cultural production through targeted support programs; development of digital infrastructure to reduce technological dependence. Only an integrated approach to strengthening all dimensions of sovereignty will allow Argentina to realize the potential of a middle-income country and restore regional leadership.