Analysis of the Competitiveness of the Turkish Textile and Clothing Sector in the European Union Market

The Turkish textile and clothing sector maintains its significance and place in the national economy and exports despite the increasing international competition. The European Union-28 (EU-28) countries are some of the most significant markets in which the sector possesses a net foreign trade surplus. In this context, this study aims to analyse the competitiveness of the Turkish textile and clothing sector in the EU market. Therefore Turkey's textile and clothing trade with the EU-28 countries is analysed in detail within the scope of the research. Besides this, the decadal unit export prices of Turkey and its rivals in the EU-28 market are calculated and evaluated. Finally the competitiveness of Turkey and its rivals in the EU market is analysed with Balassa and Vollrath indices. According to the results obtained, the Turkish textile and clothing sector maintains its importance and competitiveness in the EU market with regard to average unit export prices per kilogram and average Balassa and Vollrath index values.