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Because of severe environmental impacts associated with the use of conventional energy sources, most of the countries attempt to decarbonize their energy sector by increasing share of renewable energy in their total energy consumption which also reduces their energy import dependency. Therefore, this study aims to understand the determinants of renewable energy consumption for 58 countries over the period from 1990 to 2012. The period and number of countries are determined based on the data availability for all the variables. For example, data on total greenhouse gas emissions is available only up to 2012. Analysis is based on a panel threshold regression model to find out asymmetric behavior of renewable energy consumption. The model explains renewable energy consumption by various economic factors in a nonlinear framework. Different effects of these factors are expected under different economic regimes characterized by income level. Results show that for real GDP per capita lower than 1527.977 US$, signs, statistical significance and magnitude of coefficients on some variables differ tremendously compared to the upper regime verifying the asymmetric relationship. Therefore, one can conclude that determinants of renewable energy consumption differ across countries and time based on the real GDP per capita level.
There remains a continuous debate in the literature regarding the effect of the tourism industry on inequality. This study examines the tourism-induced Kuznets Curve Hypothesis for 34 countries in Europe, the Balkans, and Anatolia with a fourteen-year dataset using spatial panel data analysis. Results show the validity of this hypothesis. Therefore, one can conclude that the tourism industry contributes favourably to income equality only after some threshold. Moreover, findings indicate that increases in per capita income, urbanization ratio, and total labour force participation rate led to increased inequality. Therefore, to have desirable effects of the tourism industry on inclusive growth and sustainable development, investments should consider equality of income distribution.
Amaç: Ekonomi ve ekolojinin yol ayrımında olduğu dünyada sürdülebilir kalkınmanın bir aracı olarak düşünülen yeşil büyümenin yanı sıra döngüsel ekonomi de giderek önem kazanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, çalışmada döngüsel ekonomi ve yeşil büyüme göstergelerinin ekonomik büyüme üzerindeki etkilerini 2004-2018 yılları için verilerine ulaşılabilen 24 AB ülkesi ele alınarak analiz etmek amaçlanmaktadır. Yöntem: Önsel testlerin yapılması sonucunda tanımlama hatalarını gideren Ortak Bağımlı Etkiler Ortalama Grup yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bulgular: Dönüştürülmüş hammadde ticareti, belediyeye ait atığın geri dönüşüm oranı, reel kişi başına işgücü verimliliği, nüfus yoğunluğu, kişi başına CO2 emisyonları ve brüt sermaye oluşumunun kişi başına GSYH üzerinde olumlu etkilerini göstermekte olup; çevresel vergi gelirleri oranlarındaki artışların negatif yönde etkilediği sonucuna ulaşılmaktadır. Özgünlük: Literatürde yeşil büyüme, sürdürülebilir kalkınma konuları ile ilgili ele alınan çalışmalar ağırlık kazanırken, döngüsel ekonomi konusu sınırlı sayıda çalışmaya konu olmuştur. Çalışmada sürdürülebilir kalkınma için bir araç olarak görülen döngüsel ekonomi ve yeşil büyüme göstergelerinin ekonomik büyüme üzerindeki etkilerinin ampirik olarak ele alınmasının literature katkı sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.
Electricity sectors have experienced a transformation towards more liberalized and decentralized structure since the 1980s. This transformation process increases the importance of regional-level analysis. This study analyses the factors affecting regional electricity demand. As a case study, analysis is performed for Turkey by employing a dynamic spatial lag panel data model. The model allows for the inclusion of spatial interaction effects into the analysis which are important but mostly ignored in the literature. Findings show evidence of spatial spillover effects. Therefore, the paper concludes that one should consider spatial spillover effects of economic factors and regional energy policies.
The issue of convergence has been discussed in many theoretical and empirical studies. Because per capita electricity consumption is considered as an indication of economic development, this study aims to determine the presence of ?absolute and conditional beta (?) convergence? of per capita total electricity consumption across the provinces of Turkey between 1986 and 2013. This work is the first investigation of electricity consumption convergence in Turkey. Based on the annual balanced panel data and the spatial panel data model, our findings indicate absolute ? convergence of per capita electricity consumption across the provinces of Turkey. We conclude that regional policies are successful in reducing regional disparities in per capita electricity consumption among the provinces of Turkey. However, other indicators of economic development should be examined to determine the overall convergence.
By the previous studies, exchange ratefluctuations have been considered to be an important factor affecting the realsector of economies as economies have become more open. Most of the studiesfocused on its trade impact, however, through different channels, exchange ratemovements can also influence the unemployment. This study aims to analyze theeffect of exchange rate and its volatility on unemployment for Turkey over theperiod from 2005 to 2019 by using quarterly data. As a solution for possible endogeneityproblem, VAR analysis was performed. Results show that although exchange ratefluctuations do not affect the unemployment, exchange rate volatilitysignificantly increases unemployment. Moreover, positive output shockscontribute statistically significantly to the reduction of unemployment in linewith Okun’s Law. In conclusion, different policy measures should be employed toreduce the exchange rate volatility or its effect on unemployment or both.
Touristic activities have become essential for sustainable development associated with countries' prosperity and mobility opportunities. These activities may be affected by the exchange rate, economic growth, and general price movements, and these variables may also be affected by tourism activities. This study analyzes the relationships between tourist arrivals, economic growth, inflation, and exchange rate for Türkiye taking the country's geopolitical risk as exogenous, using monthly data over 2008-2020 and a Vector Error Correction modelling approach. The results indicate favorable short-run and long-run impacts of tourist arrivals on economic growth and confirm the validity of the tourism-led growth hypothesis for Türkiye. Toda Yamamoto causality tests show unidirectional causality from economic growth to inflation and exchange rate fluctuations and from the exchange rate to inflation. Therefore, results do not show evidence of tourism’s Dutch disease effect. Improving the quality of tourism-related services and marketing is vital for revenue increase and, thus, economic growth.
Birçok ülke, ekonomik kaynaklarının giderek artan bir oranını, sağlık hizmetlerinin üretimine ve sunumuna ayırmaktadır. İktisat yazınına bakıldığında, sağlık harcamalarındaki yakınsama üzerine çalışmalar bulunmakla birlikte, bunların genellikle doğrusallık varsayımıyla hareket ettiği görülmektedir. Bu çalışmada, 1979-2016 dönemi için Türkiye’nin de içinde bulunduğu 18 OECD ülkesinde kişi başına düşen kamu, özel ve toplam sağlık harcamalarında yakınsama hipotezinin geçerliliği, doğrusal olmayan panel birim kök testleriyle analiz edilmektedir. Analiz bulguları, sadece kişi başına düşen özel sağlık harcamaları için yakınsama olgusunun geçerli olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır.
For last years, it has been hotissue that transition to daylight saving time has some important consequencesrelated to the electricity consumption, human health, performance, behavior andwell-being of individuals. Since the cabinet decision in 2016, Turkey has beenimplementing the summertime throughout the whole year in order to save energy. Therefore,the main aim of this study is to analyze the effects of this change on economicgrowth and labor productivity by employing quarterly data for the time period 2006:Q1and 2018:Q1 for Turkey and Threshold AR model in order to incorporate thenonlinear behavior in considered time series. The results show significanteffect of this policy change as well as nonlinear behavior in the time seriesdue to continuous fluctuations in the data throughout time which can beclassified into at least two regimes as recession and expansion. As aconclusion, the countries should evaluate the effects of daylight saving time (DST)on different indicators before any change in the implementation.
The use and dissemination of information and communication technologies contribute to the socio-economic development of countries. Due to information and communication technology improvements, remote working can help to engage different social groups in the labour force. This chapter aims to analyse the effect of information and communication technologies on women's participation in the labour market, considering other essential factors and testing the validity of the Feminization U hypothesis. For the analysis, the author employed panel data on 12 regions of Turkey over 2013-2020. Findings indicate that female internet usage increases women's participation in the labour market, and the Feminization U hypothesis is invalid. Policymakers should develop measures to improve information and communication technologies services to encourage female labour force participation.
Information and communication technologies have gained further importance due to digitalisation in many areas including tourism and security. This chapter aims to analyse interrelationships between tourist arrivals, crime rates, and internet usage by employing panel data techniques and using data on 23 countries from 2008 to 2017. Findings indicate one-way causality from internet usage to tourist arrivals and crime rates. Results also show a high level of persistency in tourist arrivals and moderate persistency in crime and theft. Furthermore, internet usage and population density were found to increase tourist arrivals. The author also found that inflation may increase crime and theft. In conclusion, countries should take urgent steps to decrease inflation to ensure a safer country and they can employ information and communication technologies for security improvement and tourism development.
Dunyanin bircok ulkesinde oldugu gibi, Turkiye’de de karar vericiler, bir yandan enerjide darbogaz ve disa bagimliliktan kurtulmak icin gorece bol ve ucuz yerel fosil kaynaklarin kullanimi ile diger yandan cevre dostu ve iklim degisikligi dusunuldugunde gorece salimsiz olabilen yerli yenilenebilir kaynaklara yonelme geregi arasinda ikilemde kalmaktadirlar. Bu ikilem refah iktisadinin yontemlerinden sosyal fayda maliyet analizi ile incelenenip cozumlenebilmektedir. Bu calismada amacimiz, komur ve ruzgâr kaynaklarindan elektrik uretiminin sosyal fayda ve maliyetlerini belirlemek ve sosyal fayda-maliyet analizi yontemi kullanarak iki senaryo incelemektir: (i) Soma Elektrik Santralinin yerli linyitle calisan A Unitesi’nin (Soma-A) isletilmeye devam edilmesi; (ii) Soma-A’nin kaldirilip yerine ayni bolgede yillik ayni miktarda elektrik uretecek bir ruzgâr enerji santrali kurulmasi. Analiz, sosyal acidan ruzgâr enerji santralinin tercih edilmesine isaret etmektedir. Sonuc olarak, enerji alaninda alternatif proje ve politikalarin degerlendirilmesinde, sosyal fayda-maliyet analizi yonteminin kullanilmasinin buyuk onem tasidigi soylenebilir.
The issue of convergence has been discussed by many theoretical and empirical studies beginning by the major contributions of Solow (1956), Baumol (1986), and Barro and Sala-i Martin (1991). In the literature, there are two different convergence concepts, as betaconvergence and sigma-convergence. However, in this study, our focus is on the betaconvergence. As per capita electricity consumption has been considered as an indication of economic growth and development, this study aims to test the presence of “conditional betaconvergence” of per capita electricity consumption among the provinces of Turkey for the period between 1987 and 2013. We employ a spatial dynamic panel data model with fixed effects in order to account for spatial spillover, spatial clusters and cross-sectional heterogeneity. Also, we consider two types of spatial models as Spatial Autoregressive Model and Spatial Error Model. We find that our results are robust to the different specifications of model and weight matrices, however, weight matrix based on the nearest three neighbours perform better than others. Findings show the evidence of conditional beta-convergence of per capita electricity consumption among the provinces of Turkey as well as the existence of spatial clusters and spillovers. Therefore, we can conclude that the regional policies are successful to reduce the regional disparities related to the electricity consumption.
Information overload is an important issue in the digital economy. Although, information can be easily accessed and disseminated by widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) since 1990s; among countries, there are still significant disparities in information access and utilization as well as ICT access and usage. ICT affect economy, industries and companies holistically and have important functions like increasing economic growth and promoting development. The basic purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of ICT on economic growth and electricity consumption for a group of Balkan and Eastern European countries by using other economic variables that affect electricity consumption and growth, such as income and electricity consumption for control purposes. This study employed a panel data method on a group of Balkan and Eastern European countries to verify the effect of other economic variables, primarily electricity consumption and found that ICT had positive impacts on economic growth.
Foreign aids are important for the development of poor countries. Therefore, in the literature, special attention is given to the analysis of foreign aids. This chapter investigates the factors affecting flow of foreign aids to developing and less developed countries and also welfare impacts on foreign aids. For this purpose, panel data on 71 countries receiving aids from Development Assistance Committee member countries are employed for the period between 1996 and 2013. The results show statistically significant impacts of real income per capita, trade openness, migration flows as a share of total population and governance measures. Moreover, although foreign aids are found to improve the welfare of receipt countries, for donor countries, results do not indicate any evidence of welfare effects. As a conclusion, the poverty, donor's interest represented by decline in migration flows, and governance quality are found to be significant determinants of foreign aid allocation.
The tourism sector is generally perceived as a green industry because of its seemingly clean value chain activities. However, despite these perceptions, there have been doubts regarding the environmental impacts of tourism. Past studies have considered these environmental effects due to increasing concerns about global warming and climate change. This chapter attempts to analyze the effects of tourism value chain activities on carbon emissions in the context of the environmental Kuznets curve for G20 countries using a ten-year dataset. The results confirmed the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis. The findings indicate that, despite increases in energy use and investment inflow, tourism activities decrease carbon emissions. The study concluded that tourism sector activities, foreign trade, and labor force participation all have statistically significant favorable effects on carbon emissions. Given the growing global transitions within the sector, the study reckons the sector's need to focus on sustainable tourism as a development and improvement strategy.
An aging population is one of the most important issues affecting many areas such as labor and capital markets, social protection, social security, housing, and especially the demand for goods and services. Specifically, analysis of consumption patterns has become essential to prepare long-term plans for production structure and investment because consumption preferences and needs may change as a result of the aging population. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze how aging affects consumption patterns in Turkey considering regional heterogeneity and the effects of macroeconomic factors over the years. For this, panel data analysis was performed using data on 26 regions of Turkey over 2008-2018. Results show that population aging affects most of the share of items in household consumption expenditures. Thus, Turkey should be prepared and make development and investment plans considering the aging population.
Information overload is an important issue in the digital economy. Although, information can be easily accessed and disseminated by widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) since 1990s; among countries, there are still significant disparities in information access and utilization as well as ICT access and usage. ICT affect economy, industries and companies holistically and have important functions like increasing economic growth and promoting development. The basic purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of ICT on economic growth and electricity consumption for a group of Balkan and Eastern European countries by using other economic variables that affect electricity consumption and growth, such as income and electricity consumption for control purposes. This study employed a panel data method on a group of Balkan and Eastern European countries to verify the effect of other economic variables, primarily electricity consumption and found that ICT had positive impacts on economic growth.
Countries have continued to focus on the issues related to the energy crisis, climate change, and the transition to a low-carbon economy. Energy consumption is essential for countries' economic growth as energy provides various services for industrial, residential, and transportation sectors. However, heavy use of fossil fuels may cause many environmental problems and climate change. This dilemma forces countries to implement various policies. Policies implemented for energy efficiency improvement form one avenue to reach climate change mitigation and environmental goals, ensure sustainable economic development and transition to a low-emission regime. This study employs energy and carbon intensity as indicators to evaluate energy efficiency. As economies grow, structural shifts may occur from heavy industry to service sector. This may lead to lower energy consumption. However, the service sector may provide more job opportunities, leading to higher living standards, per capita national income, and energy consumption. Energy intensity may increase as a result of structural economic transformation. As part of the service sector, tourism may contribute to the transition to a low-carbon economy. Therefore, based on panel data techniques, this study aims to analyze the tourism sector’s impact on energy and carbon intensities using data on 23 countries over 2013-2020. Findings show the importance of energy efficiency improvements in the tourism sector to reduce economies' energy intensity and carbon intensity. In conclusion, countries should implement various policies to strengthen energy efficiency improvements in all industries while giving special attention to tourism.
