Anatolia’s Treasure Hand Carpet is Growing with Exports
Pointing out that Turkish handmade carpets have a high brand value and can rise to the top again with the right projects, IHIB Chairman of the Board Ahmet Hayri Diler said, “We aim to increase our exports by carrying out important promotional activities in target markets. The success of our initiatives will make significant contributions not only to exports but also to rural development and women’s employment.”
Turkiye, one of the world’s largest carpet manufacturers and exporters, is taking action to bring handmade carpets, one of the most important cultural treasures of these lands, to the world stage.
Istanbul Carpet Exporters’ Association (IHIB) organized a promotional trip to Hereke, where Hereke carpets, which have a history of nearly 200 years, are woven. While the workshops where Hereke carpets, which have a very important place in the world with their fine workmanship and high quality, were introduced to the members of the press and the participants, a visit was made to the Hereke Carpet and Silk Weaving Factory, which was established in 1943. This factory, which is affiliated to the Presidency of the Republic of Turkiye Presidency of National Palaces and continues its production as a museum factory; As a result of the joint studies carried out with the researchers of the National Palaces, the original Hereke fabric patterns are extracted and the lost patterns are reproduced, and in this way, the carpets in the palaces are made suitable for the original with original patterned fabrics.
“As Turkiye, We Export Handmade Carpets to 123 Countries!”
Stating that Turkiye is one of the first countries that comes to mind when it comes to carpets in the world, IHIB Chairman of the Board Ahmet Hayri Diler said, “As Turkiye, we export handmade carpets to 123 countries. The largest shares are taken by the USA with 35% and Japan with 28%. The number of export countries is high; it shows our market diversity and Turkiye’s power in the global market.”
Exports will Be Increased with New Projects
Stating that the inadequacy of production despite the high potential is the most important problem, Diler continued as follows: “As the Istanbul Carpet Exporters’ Association, we are aware of this problem and we are developing projects for a solution. Based on the fact that Anatolia is the homeland of rug and weaving art, we pay special attention to handmade carpets, which are one of the greatest cultural treasures of these lands. The success of our initiatives will make significant contributions not only to exports but also to rural development and women’s employment. In addition, the re-export of old handmade carpets in our country creates an important economic contribution. The qualified workforce required for this process is also available in Turkiye. We provide a significant foreign currency inflow to our economy with both exports and sales to tourists.”
Stating that although Turkiye is the world leader in woven machine-made carpets, it has lost its first place in hand-woven carpet exports, which has been going on for many years, and has fallen to the fourth place, Diler said, “Currently, India, Nepal, and China are in the top three. The brand value of Turkish handmade carpets is quite high and we think that we can reach the top again by implementing the right projects. Our target markets include the USA, Japan, France, Italy and Germany. We aim to increase our exports by carrying out important promotional activities within the scope of the ‘Turquality Promotion Project’ in these countries. The successes we have achieved, especially in the USA and Japan, show how high our potential is in these markets.” Stating that Hereke carpets have a very high value not only in the domestic market but also in the global market, Ahmet Hayri Diler said, “Hereke carpets have been keeping the cultural heritage of our country alive by bringing art and craft together for centuries, and continue to carry the handicraft heritage of our country to future generations with traditional weaving techniques and creative patterns. In Hereke, we aim to ensure that these carpets, which are woven with a thousand and one efforts and special techniques, spread to the world through the value they deserve. We attach great importance to the development of carpet making in Hereke, which represents Turkish carpet making in the global market in the best way, and we are ready to do our best in this regard.”
