Supply and Demand Aspects of Forestry in Turkey: A General Overview

The paper summarizes demand and supply aspects of Turkish forestry and its link with the other sectors of the national economy. Stressing out the importance of industrial forestry in Turkey, we suggest that the forestry is a sector of not high backward linkages, but the forward linkages of which are significant as it gives inputs to a lot of other sectors. Although it does not have high share in the overall production in national economy, the importance of environmental and ecological services of the forestry sector increases significantly. Forestry sector supplies products used as inputs and final consumption both for the domestic demand and to a very limited degree for foreign demand. Nevertheless the external factors play important role of the development of this sector. The paper also suggests policies followed by identification of some factors that affect the competitiveness of forest wood and non-wood products chain indicating their links with the international cooperation and in particular with the on-going process of accession to the EU.