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Thirty Years of Conflict and Economic Growth in Turkey: A Synthetic Control Approach

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  • Firat Bilgel
  • Burhan Can Karahasan

Abstract

This study seeks to estimate the causal effects of PKK separatist terrorism on economic development in Turkey using the synthetic control method. By creating a synthetic control group that reproduces the Turkish Gross Domestic Product (GDP) before PKK terrorism emerged in the late 1980s, we compare the GDP of the synthetic Turkey and the actual for the period 1955–2008. Our study finds that the Turkish per capita GDP would have been higher by about $2600 had it not been exposed to terrorism. This translates into an average of 21.4% higher per capita GDP over a period of 21 years.

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  • Firat Bilgel & Burhan Can Karahasan, 2019. "Thirty Years of Conflict and Economic Growth in Turkey: A Synthetic Control Approach," Defence and Peace Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(5), pages 609-631, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:defpea:v:30:y:2019:i:5:p:609-631
    DOI: 10.1080/10242694.2017.1389582
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    3. David Gilchrist & Thomas Emery & Nuno Garoupa & Rok Spruk, 2023. "Synthetic Control Method: A tool for comparative case studies in economic history," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 37(2), pages 409-445, April.
    4. López-Cazar, Ibeth & Papyrakis, Elissaios & Pellegrini, Lorenzo, 2021. "The Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) and corruption in Latin America: Evidence from Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Peru, and Trinidad and Tobago," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    5. Mohammad Reza Farzanegan, 2019. "The Opportunity Cost of the Islamic Revolution and War for Iran," MAGKS Papers on Economics 201929, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, Department of Economics (Volkswirtschaftliche Abteilung).
    6. Ramazan ErdaÄŸ, 2021. "Security Environment and Military Spending of Turkey in the 2000s," Contemporary Review of the Middle East, , vol. 8(1), pages 120-139, March.
    7. Muhammad Athar Nadeem & Zhiying Liu & Yi Xu & Kishwar Nawaz & Muhammad Yousaf Malik & Amna Younis, 2020. "Impacts of terrorism, governance structure, military expenditures and infrastructures upon tourism: empirical evidence from an emerging economy," Eurasian Business Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 10(1), pages 185-206, March.
    8. Aleksandar Kešeljević & Rok Spruk, 2024. "Estimating the effects of Syrian civil war," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 66(2), pages 671-703, February.
    9. Yilmaz Bayar & Marius Dan Gavriletea, 2018. "Peace, terrorism and economic growth in Middle East and North African countries," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(5), pages 2373-2392, September.
    10. Rodríguez-Puello, Gabriel, 2024. "Digging for Trouble? Uncovering the Link Between Mining Booms and Crime," OSF Preprints s8ayp, Center for Open Science.
    11. Guire, William M.C. & Holtmaat, Ellen Alexandra & Prakash, Aseem, 2022. "Penalties for industrial accidents: the impact of the Deepwater Horizon accident on BP’s reputation and stock market returns," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 115560, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    12. Yonatan Dinku & Dereje Regasa, 2021. "Ethnic Diversity and Local Economies," South African Journal of Economics, Economic Society of South Africa, vol. 89(3), pages 348-367, September.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • C15 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General - - - Statistical Simulation Methods: General
    • D74 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Conflict; Conflict Resolution; Alliances; Revolutions
    • P59 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Comparative Economic Systems - - - Other

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