5 Out of Every 100 Leather Jacket Users in the World Wear Turkish Leather

One of the biggest gatherings of the leather sector, the TDK Leather & Fur Fashion Show held in Antalya, took place with the participation of approximately 800 foreign buyers from 18 countries.

Stating that they expect the fair to provide a commercial contribution of 100 million dollars together with order repeats spread throughout the year, Türkiye Leather Apparel Manufacturers Association (TDKD) Chairman of the Board Cengiz Sarıgül said, “In terms of quality, models, and production capability, there is no country producing above Türkiye. Today, for brands that want to sell quality leather products in the world, Turkish goods are indispensable. We can say that five out of every 100 leather jacket users in the world use Turkish leather products.”

President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) Leather and Leather Products Sector Board and Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association (İDMİB) Güven Karaca also pointed out that creating brands in the world is now shifting toward Asia and said, “Branding is essential in order to sell value-added products. In the face of Asia’s rising brand production power, Türkiye is in a bridge position and in a very advantageous place. From now on, we will be stronger in the world market with branded sales.”

Organized by the Türkiye Leather Apparel Manufacturers Association (TDKD) between December 8–11 in Antalya Belek, the TDK Leather & Fur Fashion Show hosted professional buyers coming from all around the world. Accepted as the most comprehensive and highest-efficiency organization of the leather apparel sector, the fair brought together approximately 800 foreign buyers from 18 countries and, together with participants from Türkiye, more than one thousand professionals.

Making evaluations about the fair, TDKD Chairman of the Board Cengiz Sarıgül emphasized the critical importance of the fair for the sector and stated that Türkiye is a country that sets direction on a global scale in leather and leather apparel. Emphasizing that this special event held in Antalya made a very large contribution to the sector and almost gave it life support, Sarıgül said: “We host participants from a wide geography ranging from the European Union to Central Asia, from the eastern bloc to America. In terms of leather apparel, there is no other organization in the world that approaches the efficiency of this fair. We see that nearly half of the sector’s exports pass through this fair. This event clearly reveals Türkiye’s position as the country that directs leather. Especially in terms of design diversity, model richness, and innovative approach, it has no equivalent in the world. We expect the fair to provide a commercial contribution of 100 million dollars to the sector together with order repeats spread throughout the year.”

Turkish Leather Stands Out with Its Quality

Stating that interest in the fair increased by approximately 10% compared to the previous edition, Sarıgül evaluated this rise with the following words: “Because buyers cannot find the diversity they find here anywhere else, this fair has become indispensable for them. In terms of quality, model, and production capability, there is no country producing above Türkiye. We no longer look at price competition, because we have risen far above countries such as China, India, and Pakistan in terms of cost. We have no chance to compete there. However, we close this gap with innovation, speed, and high quality. The world’s good buyers and those who want to reach quality products prefer Türkiye. Wherever there is a store that wants to sell quality leather products, there is definitely a Turkish product there. This fair also stands out as an event that reinforces Türkiye’s leadership in global leather fashion.”

Each Company Participates with 100 Products, 5,600 New Models Are Presented

Pointing out that the fair is the most important platform that keeps the Turkish leather sector continuously dynamic rather than letting it fall out of the race, Sarıgül underlined that the product diversity exhibited at the fair has no equivalent on a world scale. Drawing attention to the fact that each company participates in the TDK Leather & Fur Fashion Show with at least 100 new models, Sarıgül said, “We have a total of 56 companies. This means a minimum of 5,600 models. Approximately 80% of these are completely different from each other. There is no such diversity anywhere in the world. New materials, effects, colors, trends, and innovations that combine leather with different materials are the signature of this fair.”

“Five Out of Every 100 Leather Jacket Users in the World Wear a Turkish Leather Jacket”

Emphasizing the position of the Turkish leather apparel sector in the world market, Sarıgül said that other countries cannot reach Türkiye’s quality standard and continued as follows:
“Today, for brands that want to sell quality leather products in the world, Turkish goods are indispensable. The level of the products currently produced could not even be imagined 20 years ago. We no longer take others as an example; the world follows us, wants to imitate us, but cannot. Our innovative power, fast delivery, high maneuverability, and ability to adapt to everything are among our most important features. Moreover, we can now also appeal to customers we call small boutique owners. We can provide low quantities that foreign countries cannot supply and that these very cheap countries cannot supply. In terms of quality, it is already impossible to compare us with them or for them to reach our level. We are truly a big player in the field.”

Stating that Türkiye has not been able to succeed in branding, including leather, Sarıgül said, “However, whether in textiles, leather, or footwear, we are very good producers. When leather is mentioned, Turkish leather comes to mind in the world. Five out of every 100 leather jacket users in the world wear a Turkish leather jacket. These are produced by Turkish manufacturers in Türkiye.”

“If the War Ends, We May Not Be Able to Keep Up with Demand”

Touching upon the sector’s expectations for 2026, Sarıgül said that the markets affected by the Russia-Ukraine war in recent years have largely been compensated by Europe and America, and that if the war ends, the sector will gain serious momentum. Sarıgül said, “Ukraine and Russia are very important markets for us. We have also created a serious customer portfolio in Europe and the USA. If these markets come together, we may not be able to keep up with demand in 2026.”

At the same time, stating that the global economic contraction affects leather as it does all sectors, Sarıgül underlined that the solution again lies in innovation and flexible production capability.

Drawing attention to the fact that the biggest problem of the sector is the increase in ancillary costs, Sarıgül said, “Even if there is not a very big increase in raw materials, the increase in energy, labor, and chemical costs creates serious pressure. Since the exchange rate increase remains below the increase in these ancillary costs and we cannot raise our prices abroad in foreign currency terms, we are experiencing some difficulty on this side.”

Exports in Leather Apparel Are 133 Times the Turkish Average

President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) Leather and Leather Products Sector Board and Chairman of the Board of the Istanbul Leather and Leather Products Exporters’ Association (IDMIB) Güven Karaca also emphasized that the fair is the “breathing point” of the Turkish leather sector and shared the sector’s orientation toward America and Europe, the increasing interest in the domestic market, and expectations for 2026.

Stating that leather and leather products exports closed 2024 with a 12.9% decrease at 1 billion 527 million dollars, while the leather apparel sector realized exports of 193 million dollars, Karaca said, “Last year we reached a value of 133 dollars per kilogram. We sell at almost 133 times the Turkish average. In the first 11 months of 2025, this figure rose to 146 dollars. Türkiye will now grow not by selling a lot, but by selling value-added products. Our leather and fur apparel sector is our most valuable sub-sector in this sense.”

America Has Become a Very Important Market

Pointing out that after the market contracted due to the Russia-Ukraine war, America became the number one market for the sector, Karaca drew attention to the fact that exports to the USA increased by 41% in the first 11 months of 2025 and that the unit price per kilogram reached 216 dollars. Stating that America is no longer an alternative but a target market, Karaca said that they work on a design-based approach and prepare collections according to the expectations of each country. Karaca said, “We want to further ignite this market increase in America and fuel the growth. Hopefully, this increase will continue in the coming days.”