Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the competitiveness of the five sectors which have the largest share in Turkey’s export for the period 2000-2014 in global markets. Balassa’s Revealed Comparative Advantages (RCA) index and Vollrath’s competitiveness indices are used to identify whether or not Turkey has a comparative advantage in these sectors. We also use the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) and Trade Balance Index (TBI) to determine the competitiveness of the five largest sectors in Turkey. Furhermore we create the product mapping of the sectors which are analyzed in the study. According to index results the textile and clothing industries are the strongest sectors in the Turkish economy. Turkey has a comparative advantage and is net-exporter in these sectors during the period. In other words Turkey has export specialization in these products. Consequently, the findings strongly support the theory of comparative advantage.

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