Impact of TTIP on third parties and especially on Turkey from the European point of view

Abstract

The terms “mega deal” or “mega regional agreement” have been broadly used in recent years in most trade deals between some of the developed countries around the world. Nowadays, countries and businesses benefit from international economic integration. The progressive abolition of restrictions on international trade and the lowering of customs barriers increase competition and create a bigger market that rewards economies of scale (Van den Hengel, 2013). These mega-deals have significantly reshaped the global trade policy landscape. Usually, multilateral trade agreements are supposed to be concluded through the World Trade Organization (WTO). But since the latest Doha Development Round of trade negotiations in 2001, no decisive agreements have been reached. This rising influence of emerging countries has slowed the supremacy of the developed and industrialised countries and particularly the “Quad” (the US, Canada, the EU and Japan), based on the Western liberal economic order. Turkey sits in the middle of two contested regions: the Middle East and the East of Europe (Ukraine, Moldavia, Russia, Armenia...). For years Turkey has been a great ally of the West. It has always been a loyal Member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and one of the founders of many international (Western) institutions such as the GATT, the IMF, World Bank, the OECD and the Council of Europe. And even if scepticism has been raised about Turkey‘s domestic and foreign policy, since 2005, the country is also moving forward in the accession negotiation progress to join the EU. Turkey has grown sharply, joining the top 20 of the largest world economies. This swift rise gave hope and confidence to the Turkish government and businesses in its struggle to access TTIP discussion. It is in this context that we will analyse the impact of TTIP on third parties and especially on Turkey. Our studies is limited to the European point of viewMaster [120] en sciences de gestion, Université catholique de Louvain, 201