Testing the Convergence Hypothesis in Primary Energy Consumption in Turkey: The Case of High-Income Countries

This study investigates whether Turkey's per capita primary energy consumption converges to that of high-income countries using linear unit root tests over the period 1965-2023. The analysis applies a variety of methods, including the Lee and Strazicich (2003) test, Narayan and Popp (2010) test, Lumsdaine and Papell (1997) test, and the conventional ADF test. According to the results of the Lee and Strazicich test, the energy convergence series is stationary at the 1% significance level in Model AA and at the 10% significance level in Model CC. These findings suggest that Turkey may exhibit signs of energy consumption convergence with high-income countries. However, the results of other methods, including Narayan and Popp (2010), Lumsdaine and Papell (1997), and the ADF test, reveal that the series has a unit root, indicating non-stationarity. This inconsistency highlights a lack of definitive evidence supporting energy consumption convergence. The divergence in findings among different methodologies underscores the need for more robust and comprehensive analyses to thoroughly evaluate the energy convergence hypothesis. Addressing this issue could contribute to a better understanding of Turkey's energy consumption dynamics relative to high-income countries.