The current situation of non-wood forest product in Turkey and the analysis of foreign trade

Turkey has rich resources in terms of endemic plant species, diversity, and wildlife sources. A significant portion of Turkey's rich biological resources contains forests. Until recently the main purpose of forestry is wood raw material from forests, and applications of all investment are concentrated on this area. However, it has made necessary that, with the diversification of economic activities in a competitive environment, as in all areas, all of the resources must be assessed in the field of forestry. Therefore, due to various production and marketing problems in the economic sphere, non-wood forest products can not find their share in the market and they should be investigated. Forests covers 27.2% percent of Turkey's surface area and the large part of the biological diversity of forests constitute non-wood forest products as known as the secondary forest products. Non-wood forest products have various benefits regarding economic, social and environmental terms. Today, medicinal and aromatic plants from forests as non-wood forest products can be used in food, textile, paint and perfumes industries. Thus, major benefits are obtained by production and marketing.In this study, the production, export, import volume and values of non-wood forest products in Turkey between the years of 1990-2009 are sorted, analyzed and presented in table and graphs. Non-wood forest products production, imports and exports, the economic and financial changes that occurred were examined on a yearly basis, and the total price and significant products were identified. In the last part of the thesis, non-wood forest products and timber export trade values have been compared and assessments were carried out.As a result, between the years 1990-2009, the most important non-wood forest products produced in Turkey determined in order as; bay, thyme, pine cones, sage, spruce, myrtle, rosemary, carob and chestnut, while the products are exported most as nuts, cotton linter, basic chrome sulphate, cumin, pomegranate, thyme, chestnut, bay, strawberry and anise. The highest imports determined in order as walnut, synthetic organic materials used in Tanning, kiwi, almonds, grains of hard carving materials, henna, and basic chrome sulphate, mimosa, preparations and kebrako. In a 20-year time period, non-wood forest products foreign trade took place mostly in favor of exports and income from exports of NWFP has been more than the income of exports of logs all the years. NWFP and timber imports have been the exact opposite, as the amounts of NWFP imports has been much less than timber imports.Key Words: Non-Wood Forest Product, Production, Import, Export.