Slippery Hill of Export Dependence on Import: Analysis of Sustainable Foreign Trade for Turkey

An export-led outward economic policy has been adopted and partially enclosed economic policy that depends on import substitution principle was dissolved in Turkey after 1980. Besides capital, good and service mobilities have acquired considerable economic liberalization correspondingly conjuncture of the global world. In spite of vulnerability of economy policies and development plans, it has not given up from the outward economy principle and lots of legal arrangements are put into practice. Custom Unions, EU harmonization process, content of development programmes, bilateral strategic cooperation agreements, constituting of energy corridors and so on are reflection of both export oriented growth policy and integration into the Global Economy. Following 2005, there has been a tendency for neo-import substitution policy in Turkey. However in order to come true these policies, a structural transformers process is a must. In this study we analyse export oriented economic growth and development using the data set of foreign trade which was made between Turkey and EU that is an integral part of more than a half of the entire foreign trade of Turkey. Panel data analyse method with foreign trade dataset for EU countries -except Cyprus- indicators for period of 2000-2015 is applied.