TURKEY'S COMPETITIVENESS AGAINST EU28 CANDIDATE COUNTRIES ACCORDING TO THE COMPARATIVE EXPORT PERFORMANCE (CEP) INDEX (2006-2016)

By the end of 2017, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina which have candidate country status and Kosovo which a potential candidate country status are in dialogue with the EU28. The comparative export performance of Turkey, which has reached its application for full membership to the EU approximately 60 years, is calculated on the basis of selected sectors against these countries in our work. In this calculation, the "Comparative Export Performance" (CEP) index developed by Donges et al. in 1982 is utilized. The date range of the study is 2006-2016 and sectors are defined as manufacturing, agriculture, food, textile, iron and steel and chemicals. While the findings confirm Turkey's export performance and competitiveness in the textile sector, Macedonia in the manufacturing sector, Montenegro and Serbia in the agriculture and food sectors, Macedonia and Albania in the iron and steel sector, Macedonia and Serbia in the chemicals sector attract attention with their high export performance and competitive advantages