Where you export matters: Explications on the export sophistication of Turkey and its export destinations

This master thesis mainly aims to clarify the effects of export destinations of Turkey on product sophistication of its export basket with using Export data of Turkey between 1998 and 2011 with HS6 classification. Besides, effects of export destinations on technology usage of export products and how export products could be structured within country groups are also analyzed in this study by the light of the presence of relationship between export destinations and product sophistication. This study shows that export destinations of Turkey significantly matter on sophistication and technology usage of export products such that as share of European Union from Turkey's total export increases, both share of mid-high and high technology export commodities from total volume and product sophistication of export basket increase whilst it is in the opposite way for MENA. Moreover, effects of other export destinations of Turkey on both sophistication and technology usage of export products are analyzed in the study. Keywords: International Trade, Export Partner, Sophistication, Qualification