Abstract
According to the advancement of Turkey’s accession negotiations with the EU, the need for comprehending the effect of accession on Turkish agriculture is growing.In this article, first, the international competitiveness of agriculture in the Mediterranean region of Turkey is estimated using the Domestic Resource Cost approach.Second, the intra-EU competitiveness of agriculture in the Mediterranean region of Turkey is simulated, focusing on the effect of direct payment scheme. The results Obtained are as follows: (1) All products except for milk in irrigatedareas, especially commercial crops such as maize, orangeand sunflower, have international competitiveness with the current price and technical levels; (2) in the case of accession without direct payment, the price levels will change and therefore the intra-EU competitiveness of basic crops such as wheat and milk will diminish; (3) however, that of wheat will recover with direct payment.The results indicate that there is a high possibility that agriculture in the Mediterranean region of Turkey, with direct payment, will sustain its competitiveness even if Turkey’s accession to the EU is done.
