AKADEM<İ>KTİSAT

 

 

MICRO AND MACRO ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVES OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

IN SOUTHEASTERN ANATOLIA REGION OF TURKEY ON EUROPEAN UNION

 

 

CONTENTS

Abstract/Özet

 

1. Introduction

2. Literature Review

3. Data and Method

 

4. Analysis of Survey’s Data

A) Information on the Participants

B1) Micro Economic Assessment

B2) Macro Economic Assessment

 

5. Conclusion

 

References

 

 

Abstract

This paper contains the data of a survey that aims to reveal the perspectives of university students in the Southeastern Anatolia Region of Turkey on the various micro and macro economic effects of possible European Union (EU) membership of Turkey. In the context of micro economic assessments; the proportion of the participants who look forward to an improvement in the institutionalism of companies is 57%. Half the participants expect positive changes in the wages and salaries. Conversely the proportion of those who expect negative effects of the companies on the environment is 43%. In the context of macro economic assessments; while half the participants state that unemployment in Turkey will decrease, the percentage of those who believe that inflation will be lower is 35%. The participants who say that inequality in income distribution will be reduced is also around the same rate.

 

Keywords: Sotheastern Anatolia Region, University Students, European Union (EU), Economic Perspective on EU, EU-Turkey Relations.

 

JEL Classification: F6, O19, O52.

 

 

Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde Üniversite Öğrencilerinin

Avrupa Birliği’ne Mikro ve Makro İktisadî Bakış Açısı

 

Özet

Bu çalışma, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’ndeki üniversite öğrencilerinin Avrupa Birliği’ne (AB) üyelik sonrasında Türkiye iktisadına ilişkin çeşitli mikro ve makro iktisadî bakış açılarını ortaya koymayı hedeflemekte olup bu amaçla düzenlenen anket verilerinin analizini içermektedir. Mikro iktisadî çerçevede; firmaların kurumsallaşma seviyelerinde iyileşme bekleyenlerin oranı %57’dir. Katılımcıların yarısı da çalışanların ücretlerinde olumlu değişim beklediğini ifade etmiştir. Öte yandan, Birliğe katıldıktan sonra işletmelerin çevreye olumsuz etkilerinde azalma bekleyenlerin oranı %43’tür. Makro iktisadî çerçevede ise; katılımcıların yarısı Türkiye’de işsizliğin azalacağını belirtirken, enflasyonun düşeceği yönünde tercihte bulunanların oranı %35’tir. Gelir dağılımında adaletin sağlanacağına inananların oranı da benzer seviyededir.

 

Anahtar Kelimeler: Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi, Üniversite Öğrencileri, Avrupa Birliği (AB), AB’ye İktisadî Bakış, AB-Türkiye İlişkileri.

 

JEL Sınıflandırması: F6, O19, O52.

 

 

1. Introduction

The European Union (EU) to which Turkey has been endeavouring to become a full member for a long time is an institution that is discussed in terms of political, social, and economic aspects. Prioritisation of the economic aspects of the EU by people during the negotiations, or forming their expectations is understandable in a country which is very behind the Union in terms of average income level and standard of living.

 

Although economic issues and related expectations are so prioritised, studies particularly on economic perspectives of Turkey’s people on the EU are insufficient. EU membership is, especially in the Sotheastern Anatolia Region of Turkey, usually associated with political issues, while the economic perspectives of people with regard to the EU and its membership have not necessarily been taken into account.

 

This study aims to close that gap and reveal the economic perspectives of people in the Sotheastern Anatolia Region of Turkey on the EU. In this context, a target group has been identified as university students. The basis of the study is formed by a survey conducted with university students of nine cities in Sotheastern Anatolia Region (Mardin, Adıyaman, Antep, Batman, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Siirt, Şırnak, Urfa) during April-June 2016.

 

Although the scope of this survey is broader, in this paper, the perspectives of students, particularly with regard to the micro and macro effects of possible EU membership of Turkey are revealed.

 

 

2. Literature Review

Literature on the EU membership of Turkey mainly concentrates on three areas: the general effects of EU membership on Turkey’s economy, the general effects of Customs Union on Turkey’s economy, and the sectoral effects of the Customs Union and EU membership.

 

While the paper by Karakaya and Özgen (2002) is an example for the first group, the study by Akkoyunlu-Wigley, Mıhçı, and Arslan (2006) is of the second group. The paper by Bekmez (2002) falls into the last group.

 

There are also various ‘public opinion polls’ examining Turkey’s membership of EU. The researches by Ceran et al. (2016); Özsöz et al. (2015); Ercan (2016); Samur and Oral (2007); Aktaş (2012); Karakuzu et al. (2015) are among such studies.

 

Such studies do not, however, focus specifically on the economic aspect of the issue but are about the effects of membership on a sector and/or perception of people of a city/province.

 

 

3. Data and Method

This paper consists of some assessments by university students in the Sotheastern Anatolia Region on various micro and macro changes in the economy of Turkey in the case of its membership of EU.

 

The section of the main survey assessed in this paper includes 10 questions which can be classified under two main headings: personal information on the participants plus their economic perspectives with regard to EU membership of Turkey. A 5-Point Likert Scale Method is applied in the survey.

 

 

4. Analysis of Survey’s Data

A) Information on the Participants

The participants are mainly from the Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences (FEAS). However, to enrich the research, students of the Faculties of Theology, Engineering, Architecture, and Vocational Higher Schools are also included.

 

The share of FEAS’ students in the total is 87% and they are from the departments of Economics, Business, Political Sciences and Public Management, and International Relations. Information on the gender and age range of the participants is given below.

 

Q1) Gender of the participants

Male

57%

Female

43%

 

Although the majority of the participants are male, the number of females is not much lower. Thus, one can say that the representation level of the research is high in terms of gender.

 

Q2) Age range of the participants

As they are university students, the age of the participants ranges from 17 to 28 years.

 

B1) Micro Economic Assessment

(%)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Undecided

Agree

Strongly agree

1) Wage/salaries will rise.

5

14

34

30

17

2) Companies will be institutionalised.

3

11

29

45

12

3) Negative effects of companies on the environment will be decreased.

9

18

30

30

13

4) Government regulations on the competition will be increased.

4

12

23

47

14

 

Those who think that EU membership will have positive effects on wages/salaries are nearly half the participants (47%). However, the choice of those as yet undecided is remarkable. It is 34% and comes first among all the answers.

 

While the rate of the participants who expect an improvement in the institutionalisation level of companies is 57%, the rate of those who differ is 14%.

 

Following EU membership, the proportion of those who expect a decrease in the negative effects of companies on the environment is 43%. The proportion of those who think differently remains at 27%. However, the proportion of undecided students is 30%.

 

An important proportion of participants believe that government regulations on competition will be increased (61%). Only 16% disagree.

 

B2) Macro Economic Assessment

(%)

Strongly disagree

Disagree

Undecided

Agree

Strongly agree

1) Unemployment rate will decrease.

9

13

29

38

11

2) Inflation rate will decrease.

8

18

39

29

6

3) Justice in the income distribution will be provided.

11

20

32

25

12

4) Income per capita will increase.

7

15

25

39

14

 

Nearly half the students think that unemployment rate will be lower (49%). However, it seems that there is no clarity on this matter. Because 29% of the participants are undecided.

 

Those who believe that the rate of inflation will decrease following EU membership stands at 35% which is a low rate clearly. Moreover, the share of the undecided students is greater (39%).

 

Like the preferences of the participants for ‘inflation’, those who believe that inequality in income distribution will be reduced following Turkey’s EU membership is low (37%). The share of those against this idea is 31% while the proportion of undecided students is 32%.

 

53% of the participants think that income per capita will increase following EU membership of Turkey while 22% believe that it will not be so.

 

 

5. Conclusion

In the context of micro economic assessments based on a survey conducted with the 266 university students in the Sotheastern Anatolia Region of Turkey; 60% of the participants believe that government regulations on competition following Turkey’s EU membership will be increased. The proportion of participants who expect an improvement in the institutionalisation level of companies is similar to that above. Nearly half the students think that EU membership will have positive effects on wages/salaries. Their expectations with regard to the decrease of negative effects of companies on the environment is also positive. In fact, following EU membership, the proportion of participants who believe that such negative effects in Turkey will be lower is 43%.

 

In the context of macro economic assessments; nearly half the students think that the unemployment rate will be lower (49%). However, those who believe that the inflation rate will decrease following EU membership is only 35%. The proportion of students who believe that inequality in income distribution will be reduced is nearly the same as that given above. On the other hand, the participants who expect an increase in income per capita in Turkey following the EU membership is rather than the half.

 

 

* Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Behzat Ekinci

Economics, FEAS, Mardin Artuklu University

mbekinci(at)akademiktisat.net

** Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Kara

Economics, FEAS, Mustafa Kemal University

kara70m(at)gmail.com

*** “Micro and Macro Economic Perspectives of University Students in Southeast Anatolia Region of Turkey on European Union”, 4th SCF International Conference on Economics and Social Impacts of Globalization” and “Future Turkey-European Union Relations” (SCF Conferences’2018), Abstract Book, Nevşehir, April 26-28, 2018, 36. (Verbal Presentation).

http://www.akademiktisat.net

 

 

References

Akkoyunlu-Wigley Arzu; Sevinç Mıhçı; Hakan Arslan (2006). “The Custom Union with EU and Its Impact on Turkey’s Economic Growth”, 8th ETSG Annual Conference, Vienna, September 7.

 

Bekmez, Selahattin (2002). “Sectoral Impacts of Turkish Accession to the European Union”, Eastern Economic Journal, 40(2), 57-84.

 

Ercan, Murat (2012). “Bilecik Üniversitesi Avrupa Birliği Anketi; Türkiye Kamuoyu AB’ye Nasıl Bakıyor?”, Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi, Edebiyat Fakültesi, Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 36(1), 199-220, http://dergi.cumhuriyet.edu.tr/cumusosbil/article/view/1008000924/1008001380.

 

Ceran, Ahmet; Çisel İleri; İlge Kıvılcım; Yeliz Şahin (2016). Türkiye Kamuoyunda AB Desteği ve Avrupa Algısı; Kamuoyu Araştırması, İktisadi Kalkınma Vakfı, Yayın No: 213, İstanbul.

 

Karakaya, Etem; Ferhat B. Özgen (2002). “Economic Feasibility of Turkey’s Economic Integration with the EU: Perspectives from Trade Creation and Trade Diversion”, International Economics Research Conference, September 11-14, https://ssrn.com/abstract=1014031.

 

Karakuzu, Taner; Seyfi Aktoprak; Çiğdem Erk; İlker Limon (2015). “Meslek Yüksekokulu Öğrencilerinde Avrupa Birliği Algısı Üzerine Karşılaştırmalı Bir İnceleme: Trakya Üniversitesi Uzunköprü Meslek Yüksekokulu Örneği”, Electronic Journal of Vocational Colleges, 4.UMYOS Özel Sayısı, Aralık.

 

Özsöz, Melih; Çisel İleri, Büşra Çatır; Ahmet Ceran; İlke Özkan (2015). Türkiye Kamuoyunda AB Desteği ve Avrupa Algısı; Kamuoyu Araştırması, İktisadi Kalkınma Vakfı, Yayın No: 276, İstanbul.

 

Samur, Hakan; Behçet Oral (2007). “Orientation of University Seniors from Southeastern Turkey to the European Union”, European Journal of Social Sciences, 5(2), 186-205.

 

Yazgan, H.; A. Aktaş (2012). “Türkiye- Avrupa Birliği İlişkilerinde Kamuoyu Faktörü: Çankırı İli Örneği”, Çankırı Karatekin Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 2(2), 1-23, Güz.

 

 

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