Impact of Education and Poverty on Terrorism in Turkey: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract

This study aims at investigating whether education and poverty have a causal effect on terrorist attacks in Turkey from 1980 to 2006. The ARDL bounds testing procedure and Granger-causality analysis within vector error-correction models (VECM) are used. Results of the ARDL bounds testing procedure suggest the rejection of the null hypothesis of no long-run relationship in the where education is the long-run forcing variable for terrorist attacks. The evidence obtained from the Granger-causality analysis within VECM confirms the findings from the ARDL bounds test that there exists a long-run equilibrium relationship between these two series. Results suggest no evidence of long-run relationship between terrorist attacks and poverty.