Competitiveness of Turkey in Eurasia: A Comparison with CIS Countries

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to examine international competitiveness of Turkey both in world market and CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) in comparison with Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and to determine the value of trade between Turkey and CIS countries. The Revealed Comparative Advantage, Grubel-Lloyd (IIT) and Trade Intensity indices were calculated for sixteen commodity groups over the period 1996–2008 by using WTO data. The results suggest that Turkey is more competitive in CIS market and has comparative advantage in various products. Turkey has comparative advantage not only in agricultural products, food, manufactures, automotive products, textile and clothing as the world market but also in chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery-transport equipment, office-telecom equipment and telecommunications vis-à-vis CIS countries. CIS countries exhibit similar comparative advantages in the world market. CIS countries have comparative advantage particularly in fuels and mining products, agricultural products, food, iron and steel but in a decreasing trend. The IIT results indicate that while Turkey approaches intra-industry specialization in agricultural products, food and textile but also manufacture products such as iron and steel, telecommunications equipment, machinery-transport and automotive products. CIS countries’ economy indicates increasing intra-industry trade in agriculture products, food manufactures, iron and steel. It is found that there is an intense relationship between Turkey and CIS countries except Belarus. Bilateral trade flow between Turkey and Azerbaijan, Kyrgyz Republic and the Georgia is extremely larger than these countries’ importance in world trade.