Title: Identifying target export countries through network analysis: the case of Turkish hazelnut export

Authors: Nimet Kalkan; Şengül Duran

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon-Türkiye ' The Bartlett School of Construction and Project Management, University College London, 1–19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK

Abstract: This study investigates Türkiye's hazelnut export network to identify target export countries and evaluate whether they are probable targets for the hazelnut market. The research is based on network theory and examines Türkiye by the cooccurrences of exports to 121 countries from 41 provinces of Türkiye. The results show that the USA, the UK, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Israel are in central positions in Türkiye's hazelnut network. After evaluating the results at the country level, the findings suggest that these countries are potential targets for expanding the hazelnut exports of Türkiye. The research, revealing the issue in Türkiye, the leader in hazelnut production and exports, highlights for the policymakers the importance of handling the issue from a network perspective in trade decisions, enlightening them about its significance in shaping a new sustainable world trade order.

Keywords: international trade; sustainable trade; network analysis; network theory; hazelnut export; export network; target export countries; UCINET; centrality; Türkiye.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTGM.2025.148617

International Journal of Trade and Global Markets, 2025 Vol.21 No.4, pp.417 - 438

Received: 22 Oct 2024
Accepted: 12 May 2025
Published online: 15 Sep 2025 *

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