International Scientific Journal Vision

THE IMPACT OF TURKISH FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENTS ON THE ECONOMY OF NORTH MACEDONIA

2026-06-29T13:57:11+02:00

With the process of globalization, foreign direct investment (FDI) has come to play a critical role in the economic growth of developing countries. North Macedonia has become an attractive destination for foreign investors due to its strategic location, low tax rates, and investment incentives.

The structural characteristics of the country’s economy make it difficult for domestic capital to independently finance large-scale and technology-intensive investments. This situation has made foreign direct investment (FDI) one of the fundamental components of the country’s development strategy.

North Macedonia is among the countries in the region with the lowest labor costs per worker. In order to attract foreign investments, the country has reduced employer-paid social security contributions to a minimum level. Through this policy, the financial burden of social security and taxation on both foreign and domestic investors has been reduced, thereby encouraging the inflow of new investments.

The incentives implemented to attract foreign investors include exemptions and reductions in personal and corporate income taxes, the elimination of customs duties on raw material imports and other import taxes, as well as labor market regulations designed to facilitate investment activities.

Türkiye stands out as one of the major investor countries in North Macedonia. Turkish investments generate not only economic impacts but also significant social effects due to historical and cultural ties between the two countries. In particular, Turkish investments have increased rapidly over the last decade. Turkish firms have investments in various sectors such as banking, insurance, education, healthcare, construction, renewable energy, agriculture and livestock, food production, textiles and apparel, retail trade, and tourism.

Recent investments made by Turkish entrepreneurs in North Macedonia have contributed significantly to the development of the country’s industrial sector, employment generation, financial deepening, technology transfer, and regional development.

INTEGRATING HUMAN RIGHTS AND CRIMINAL LAW IN THE FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION: A NORMATIVE AND THEORETICAL APPROACH

2026-06-30T13:16:25+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum2611123s

Corruption constitutes one of the most serious and complex systemic challenges confronting contemporary societies, with profound adverse effects on the rule of law, democratic institutions, and the enjoyment of human rights. It manifests not merely as an individual criminal offence, but as a structural phenomenon that undermines institutional trust, weakens equality before the law, and enables selective justice. This article examines the interrelationship between human rights, corruption, and criminal law, with particular emphasis on the complementarity between the traditional criminal law approach and the Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) in anti-corruption strategies. The research adopts a qualitative methodology, combining normative legal analysis of key international instruments, including the United Nations Convention against Corruption and the European Convention on Human Rights, with a review of relevant academic literature and a theoretical synthesis of contemporary anti-corruption models. The paper explores preventive and repressive mechanisms and assesses how core human rights principles - transparency, accountability, and public participation, can strengthen the criminal justice framework. The findings demonstrate that reliance on criminal law alone is insufficient to address the systemic causes of corruption. An integrated, human rights-based approach enhances prevention, builds public trust in institutions, and ensures sustainable protection of the rule of law.

QUALITY PRINCIPLES, TOOLS, TECHNIQUES AND METHODOLOGIES SHOULD REMAIN INEVITABLE PART OF DIGITAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT

2026-06-29T14:15:13+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum2611147v

The digital transformation driven by Industry 4.0 has significantly reshaped quality management practices, leading to the emergence of Digital and Intelligent Quality Management (Quality 4.0). Despite the adoption of advanced technologies enabling automation, real-time monitoring, and data-driven decision-making, the role of traditional quality principles, tools, techniques, and methodologies remains insufficiently examined. This paper aims to examine whether established quality management instruments should remain an inevitable component of digital quality management systems. The study applies a mixed research approach combining a systematic literature review with an empirical case study conducted in automotive manufacturing companies in North Macedonia. The literature review analyzes the evolution of quality management principles and systematizes quality tools, techniques, and methodologies within the Quality 4.0 context. The empirical data was collected through a structured survey examining the frequency and purpose of applying quality management instruments. The results confirm that digital technologies enhance rather than replace established quality methodologies. The study concludes that quality principles, tools, techniques, and methodologies must be systematically integrated into digital environments to ensure effective, sustainable, and human-centric quality management in the Quality 4.0 era.

THE VERTICAL EXPANSION OF NATO'S ROLE THROUGH STRATEGIC DOCUMENTS

2026-06-29T14:23:51+02:00

During its 76 years of existence, NATO has gone through a specific evolutionary process. From an alliance for collective defense during the Cold War, to an alliance without a clear threat after the Cold War, NATO expanded its area of action with the defense and protection of the shared values of the peoples of the North Atlantic region, based on the principles of democracy, individual freedoms, and the rule of law. Following Russia’s aggressive war in Ukraine, NATO has once again refocused on its core mission of deterrence and defense.

This paper focuses on explaining the process of transformation of NATO’s identity and the elements characterizing NATO’s contemporary identity. A qualitative and historical-interpretative method is used to trace the main processes in order to analyze the main research problem: the transformation of NATO’s identity from a traditional collective security organization during the Cold War into a broader security community after 1991. NATO, as a case study, is analyzed across multiple historical periods.

The fundamental assumption is that NATO transformed its identity through activities aimed at defining its role and activities aimed at maintaining that role, in order to avoid discreditation.

THE POSITION OF PRESIDENTIAL DECREES IN THE HIERARCHY OF NORMS IN TURKEY

2026-06-29T14:30:58+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum2611197c

In Turkey, the parliamentary government system was abandoned in a 2017 referendum in favour of a system similar to a presidential one. This change saw presidential decrees, a previously non-existent procedure, enter the Turkish legal system. Following the 2018 presidential election, the new system was implemented and presidential decrees were applied within it. Prior to the 2017 constitutional amendment, the scope of decrees granted to the president under the parliamentary system was limited to appointment procedures. However, under the new political regime, the president has become head of the executive branch and his decree authority has changed. Presidential decrees derive their authority directly from the constitution and, within this remit, they can enact regulations that affect not only the executive sphere, but also social, cultural and economic rights. Additionally, presidential decrees may be issued on matters not regulated by the legislative power

According to Kelsen's 'hierarchy of norms', also known as the 'pyramid of norms', the structure of norms in the Turkish legal system has taken on a new form following the 2017 constitutional amendment. However, there is no consensus among legal scholars as to where presidential decrees, which derive their authority directly from the constitution, fit into this new regulatory framework. Determining the place of this new type of administrative act within the plurality of norms is also important for judicial review. This study examines the scope of presidential decrees, as well as the issues that have arisen or are likely to arise in this area, in light of decisions made by the Turkish Constitutional Court. The aim is to determine the position of these decrees within the hierarchy of norms.

THE JURISDICTION OF THE UNIFIED PATENT COURT AND TURKEY'S POSITION: A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE ON EUROPEAN PATENT INTEGRATION

2026-06-29T14:34:00+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum26111115k

The long-discussed reform process in the European patent system gained concrete form with the "Unified Patent Court Agreement" signed in 2013. This system aims to ensure that patents granted by the European Patent Office are valid and enforceable by a single court in participating countries. This aims to provide a more predictable, swift, and cost-effective litigation process for both patent holders and third parties. The Unified Patent Court has exclusive jurisdiction over disputes concerning the infringement and invalidity of unified patents valid in member states of the European Union that have ratified the agreement. The court has a centralized structure and regional headquarters in Paris, Munich, and Milan. However, the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the system following Brexit has necessitated a reassessment of the court's structure and jurisdiction. For Turkey, however, this system is a direct consequence of this has no effect, as Turkey is neither a member of the European Union nor a party to the Unified Patent Court Agreement. However, as a party to the European Patent Convention, Turkey recognizes the validity of classical European patents obtained through the EPO at the national level. This situation, because patent holders in Turkey cannot participate in the unified patent system, leads to a division in terms of both legal protection and jurisdiction. This paper examines the jurisdictional structure, functioning, and role of the Unified Patent Court in the European patent system, and discusses the legal and practical consequences of Turkey's non-participation in this system. Issues such as conflict of jurisdiction, forum selection, and recognition of decisions, particularly in international patent disputes, are considered significant problems for Turkey. Consequently, Turkey's non-participation in the unified patent system creates certain limitations in terms of international patent protection; this may affect both the rights of domestic patent holders in Europe and the rights of foreign patent holders in Turkey. In this context, Turkey's future policy choices and international integration strategies are of critical importance for the development of patent law.

A SUMMATION FORMULAE FOR BILATERAL BASIC HYPERGEOMETRIC SERIES

2026-06-29T14:42:13+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum26111137e

In this paper, making use of decomposition of series method, and knowing summation formulae for truncated series to drive certain interesting transformation involving bilateral basic hypergeometric series.

GLIGOROV, SOCIAL CHANGE AND STATEHOOD

2026-06-29T14:47:23+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum26111143t

This paper examines the political and historical role of Kiro Gligorov in the making of Macedonian statehood through a sociological lens. Focusing on the decisive period of the early 1990s, it analyses how Gligorov’s leadership intersected with broader processes of social change, state-building and identity formation in the post-Yugoslav context. The study draws on Piotr Sztompka’s sociology of social change, as well as broader debates on agency and structure, to conceptualise Gligorov as an individual actor operating within a dense web of institutional, geopolitical and cultural constraints.

The paper pursues two main aims: first, to analyse the role of Gligorov in the political development and consolidation of the Republic of Macedonia; and second, to explore how his presidency interacted with wider socio-economic and socio-cultural transformations in Macedonian society. Methodologically, the paper is designed as a qualitative case study based on interpretive analysis of primary and secondary sources, including political speeches, interviews, constitutional documents and existing historiographical and political science literature.

The analysis suggests that Gligorov combined moderation, legalism and pragmatic international engagement in ways that contributed to the peaceful emergence and consolidation of Macedonian statehood in a highly turbulent regional environment. At the same time, his public role helped to shape patterns of democratic culture, conflict avoidance and political discourse that extended beyond his formal mandates. By linking an individual-centred analysis of political leadership with a sociological reading of historical change, the paper contributes to broader discussions on the role of political actors in critical junctures and processes of state formation.

FINANCIAL MARKET FORECASTING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ECONOMETRIC MODELS AND MACHINE LEARNING METHODS

2026-06-30T09:27:29+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum26111159y

This study examines the relative performance of traditional econometric models and machine learning methods in forecasting stock market indices. Using a panel dataset covering ten developed economies over the period 2000–2024, the analysis compares Fixed Effects, Random Effects, and Dynamic Panel models with machine learning algorithms including XGBoost, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting.

The empirical results reveal that the Dynamic Panel model outperforms all alternative approaches, achieving the highest predictive accuracy (R² = 0.8556; MAPE = 6.5%). Among machine learning models, XGBoost provides the best performance but remains inferior to the dynamic specification. These findings highlight the critical role of temporal dependence in financial market forecasting.

The study contributes to the literature by providing a unified and systematic comparison of econometric and machine learning approaches within a cross-country panel framework. The results suggest that, despite the growing popularity of machine learning techniques, well-specified econometric models that explicitly incorporate dynamic structures can offer superior predictive performance.

THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE REFUGEE CONCEPT IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

2026-06-30T09:39:24+02:00

https://doi.org/10.55843/ivisum26111187h

This article examines the historical development and transformation of the refugee concept in international law. Using a doctrinal legal research methodology supported by historical analysis, it explores the evolution of refugee protection from early international arrangements to the contemporary refugee regime established by the 1951 Convention and the 1967 Protocol.

The study demonstrates that refugee protection has progressively expanded through regional instruments, evolving interpretations and complementary protection mechanisms. At the same time, increasing migration-control measures, restrictive asylum policies and the securitization of migration have created significant barriers to access to protection.

The article argues that contemporary refugee law is characterized by a continuing paradox: while the legal scope of protection has broadened considerably, access to that protection has become increasingly contested in practice. It concludes that the effectiveness of the international refugee regime depends not only on the development of legal norms but also on ensuring meaningful access to existing protection mechanisms.