The effects of Arab Spring on Turkish foreign trade: A case study of Gebze Organized Industrial Zone

This research was conducted to investigate the effects of Arab Spring on Turkish foreign trade. The questionnaire form created in line with the purpose of the research was applied to the representatives from 74 companies engaged in foreign trade at the Gebze Organized Industrial Zone in the province of Kocaeli. SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for Windows 22.0 program was used to evaluate the data obtained from the questionnaires. Percentage and frequency analyzes were used in the determination of the descriptive characteristics of the companies and mean and standard deviation statistics were used in the determination of the impacts of Arab Spring on the Turkish Foreign Trade. Correlation analysis, t-test, one-way Anova test and Scheffe tests were applied as hypothesis tests. As a result of the research, it was determined that the Arab Spring had a low impact on Turkish foreign trade. In addition, it was established that the impacts of the Arab Spring on the Turkish foreign trade differ according to the products ranges of the companies, the countries they trade with and the age of the company manager while it does not differ according to the sector in which the company operates and how long the company is in its respective sector and the legal status of the company. Key words: Arab Spring, Foreign Trade, Turkish Foreign Trade