Gravity vs conflict: What determines internatinoal trade

This research aims to examine the impact of distance and conflict and their interrelations on the dynamics of foreign trade by using Turkish bilateral trade data. We accept the presumption the distance matter in international trade. However, the gravity model of international trade works only if there is no conflict. This study, therefore, incorporates international conflicts into gravity model of foreign trade. Three main questions have motivated this study: (1) What is the determination of trade performance? (2) Does conflict impacts international trade? (3) Does conflict between trading partners affect Gravity Model? In order to explain different types of conflict on trade relations we defined and measured two types of conflict: Diplomatic, and Security. In our analysis, we also checked the impact of Arab-Spring on trade relation of Turkey. The results based dynamic panel data models, Generalized Methods of Moments (GMM), based on UN COMTRADE data for Turkey from 1990 to 2013 show that our trade model fits well with gravity approach in the case of Turkish foreign trade. The estimation results shows that Diplomatic Conflicts have negative impact on trade in specific cases but also Security Conflicts and Arab Spring effects trade relation negatively. Moreover, in the case of Security Conflicts the positive impact of geographical proximity on trade relations disappears.