What is it about?
The article that served as the source and inspiration for the information presented on this page was originally published under the title. “Türkiye'nin politik küreselleşmesinde demir çelik sektörünün rolü: Yapısal kırılmalı zaman serisi analizi” in “19 Mayıs Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi”, dated 2023, Volume 4(4), pp. 252-262. The content below offers informative and explanatory insights that include personal perspectives on the topic. You are welcome to share your questions, comments and suggestions via the contact channels and academic/social platforms listed in the menus on the right. The author(s) expect proper citation of their original work as a recognition of their scholarly contribution published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Therefore, please refrain from citing this page and instead cite the original article. Please note that this text serves primarily as an introduction and expression of viewpoints. Thank you for your understanding. This blog explores whether Türkiye’s iron and steel sector has influenced its political globalization process. Following the shift from import-substitution to export-oriented industrial policies after 1980 and especially with the 1989 Decree No. 32 that liberalized trade payments and capital movements, Türkiye began integrating more actively with global markets. Using data from 1989 to 2020, the study investigates the relationship between Türkiye’s iron and steel trade figures and the KOF Political Globalization Index. Applying the LS (2003) unit root test with two structural breaks, the Hatemi-J cointegration test, and the Hacker and Hatemi-J causality test, it finds a one-way causality running from iron and steel imports to political globalization suggesting that global integration in this key sector may have helped drive Türkiye’s political openness.
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Why is it important?
In Türkiye, globalization didn’t just knock on the door; it showed up with a steel briefcase. This study dives into how the iron and steel industry has quietly flexed its metal muscles in Türkiye’s political globalization story. Since the 1980s, Türkiye went from “build it at home” to “sell it abroad,” and by 1989, trade liberalization was in full swing. But here’s the twist: behind every government shift, global shock, and trade agreement, steel was silently at work, exporting, importing, and responding to the world like an industrial seismograph. Turns out, Türkiye’s imports of steel aren’t just fueling factories; they may be nudging the nation’s political ties outward. Add climate change, carbon pricing, and global green deals like the EU’s Green Deal, and suddenly steel isn’t just heavy; it’s hot. That’s why understanding this sector isn’t just for economists in hard hats. It’s for anyone tracking how countries shape (and are shaped by) a fast-changing world.
Perspectives
In my view, export is like sending your country’s best goods and services on a vacation; except instead of postcards, they send back hard currency. But not every shipment of steel beams or consulting hours is just a business move; it’s also a power play in the global sandbox. When a country exports, it’s not just saying “Buy my stuff,” it’s whispering “Watch me grow, one trade surplus at a time.” In this sense, exporting isn't just a matter of logistics; it's a strategic expression of national ambition. Especially in sectors like iron and steel, where the final product relies on a complex chain of global inputs, the act of exporting carries extra weight. You sell abroad, but you also import your raw materials. It’s like trying to win a race where you have to borrow someone else's shoes. Globalization makes this race more intense with new players, new rules, and a referee that sometimes doesn’t show up. Political globalization, in particular, doesn’t just bring countries closer; it makes their steel prices feel like they’re on a WhatsApp group chat. If one economy sneezes, another catches a tariff. And the winners? Those who can export smart, import strategically, and play nice (or at least convincingly diplomatic) on the world stage. That’s why this study dives deep into how Türkiye’s iron and steel sector has become more than just an industry, it's a mirror of the country’s political globalization journey, complete with shocks, shifts, and structural break tests to prove it. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE CONTENTS ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT IDENTICAL TO THOSE PRESENTED IN THE ORIGINAL STUDY. FOR INFORMATION, COMMENTS, OR SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT THE AUTHOR.
Ümit Remzi Ergün
Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Türkiye'nin Politik Küreselleşmesinde Demir Çelik Sektörünün Rolü: Yapısal Kırılmalı Zaman Serisi Analizi, 19 Mayıs Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, December 2023, 19 Mayis Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi,
DOI: 10.52835/19maysbd.1383456.
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