COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TURKEY AND THE SELECTED EASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AGRICULTURAL SECTOR WITHIN THE SCOPE OF EU COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY

In this study, Turkey and the five selected Eastern European countries Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Romania agricultural sector were analyzed in terms of four indicators (the share of national income, employment, production and foreign trade) and Turkey's harmony to the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) was examined. The aforementioned countries achieve the modernization of the agricultural sector, increase production, productivity, competition, exports and farm scale, promote the rural development, farmers' income and welfare of small businesses through supports/funds of the CAP. Turkey's competitiveness will increase through achieving an EU standard environmentally friendly, healthy, safe and high value-added production along with providing the necessary infrastructure and institutional arrangements for Turkey to benefit from the CAP funds. Moreover, application of the direct payment method to real producers instead of product-based price support and rural development policies.