An analysis on the economic relations between Turkey and European Union in the framework of global and regional economic cooperations and integrations

In international trade, the borders have disappeared and commercial relations between countries have strengthened with globalization. After 1980, the process of regionalization has accelerated and both the number and effectiveness of economic integrations have increased. International economic actors eventually caused the formation of commercial blocks in the new world order. In this study, essentially Turkey's current foreign trade relations are examined with the regional actors and economic relations with the EU have been tried to be analyzed in this framework. In the first part of the thesis, the universal definitions of the globalization and regionalization concepts are explained, and the phases and effects of economic cooperation and integration have been mentioned which providing of the theoretical infrastructure of the thesis. In the second part, NAFTA, APEC, ASEAN, GCC and AEC were chosen from the regional integrations which have a place in the multi-polar economic regime and have significant roles in the world economy and the commercial relations of these regional actors with Turkey have been analyzed. These analyzes have been explained and evaluated through economic data, tables and graphs. In the last part of the thesis, the economic relations with the EU, which is Turkey's biggest trading partner, have been examined in terms of foreign trade with detail before and after the Customs Union. The impacts of the STA's on the Turkish economy that the EU has signed with third countries and will sign in the future are also examined especially through examples of TTIP and CETA. During the process of Customs Union, it was questioned whether there were other alternatives for Turkey or not and analyze the effects of selected organization on export by using Gravity Model. Finally, the differences are emphasized between the Customs Union and other economic integrations and agreements and the recommendations for the revision are mentioned. Key Words: Globalization - Regionalization - Economic Organizations - European Union - Foreign Trade – Gravity Model - Customs Union