“There Has Been Very Strong Interest in All Exhibitions Since January”
Minister of Trade of Republic of Türkiye Ömer Bolat noted that since January, there has been very high interest in all exhibitions and orders have been received. Bolat said, “Prestigious fair support is not something one would refuse; even if someone says ‘I want to use this right in another exhibition’ support up to 393,000 lira is still available from the Ministry of Trade.”
At the Texhibition Istanbul, organized under the leadership of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB) at the Istanbul Fair Center, Türkiyey’s economic and sectoral strength was once again put on display. The Republic of Turkey Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat, Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) President Mustafa Gültepe and Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) President Şekib Avdagiç shared messages about the stability and growth of the textile sector and Türkiye’s economy in their speeches at the exhibition.
Bolat stated that Türkiye is the most developed industrial country in the geography stretching from Morocco in the west to China in the east, adding: “With our industry, last year we made 273.4 billion dollars in exports, and 93% of this export was industrial products. Again, in the services sector, we made 122.6 billion dollars in exports. In total, we approached 400 billion dollars. This year, we are putting in great effort and work with you to achieve our target of 410 billion dollars in goods and services exports. Last year, we used 60% of our budget as the Ministry of Trade to support our exporters.
This is a very important rate, and as a government, we provided support of 2,500 lira per person for SMEs, primarily in textile, ready-to-wear, footwear, and furniture sectors, provided employment was maintained. We increased the foreign exchange premium to be given to the Central Bank from 2% to 3%. Including large-scale enterprises in all these sectors, we increased the support of 2,500 lira per employee to 3,500 lira. Last week, our government prepared a 100 billion lira Credit Guarantee Fund package. Under very good market conditions, this support is presented for your benefit with a 50 million lira upper limit per firm and a 36-month term.”
Bolat stated that they had raised the upper limit of participation support to 1,293,000 lira for 2026 and that they saw its benefits, noting that fairs started very lively this year.
Minister of Trade Bolat noted that since January, there has been very high interest in all fairs and orders have been received. Bolat said, “Prestigious fair support is not something one would refuse; even if someone says ‘I want to use this right in another fair,’ support up to 393,000 lira is still available from the Ministry of Trade.”
Bolat also mentioned that they provided up to 50% support for the promotional expenses of the organization so that the organizer could promote abroad and domestically and invite buyers, adding that this amount is valid up to 7.5 million lira for international promotions and approximately 2.5 million lira for domestic promotions.
Bolat expressed that Türkiye is in the very middle of a great ring of fire in the region, stating, “Looking at the last few years, we unfortunately see that there are intense conflicts, regional wars, and crises in the north, south, east, and west of us.”
“We Will Make Anatolia a Production Base in Ready-to-Wear and Textiles”
Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) President Mustafa Gültepe emphasized that they will make Anatolia a production base in ready-to-wear and textiles, and Istanbul a fair center.
Gültepe noted that there is a fair in every sector: “Fairs are important. Fairs are not only points where trade happens but also very important organizations for promoting the country. For promoting Türkiye, we bring even those who do not know Türkiye here.”
He continued, saying they will continue their work in the same way in an environment where bombs are being dropped elsewhere: “We know that in order for Türkiye to enter the top 10 exporting countries in the world in the medium term, we need to further increase production and exports. Growth figures have been announced Türkiye grew by 3.6% in 2025. However, there is a small point here. Growth was mostly from consumption, from household spending. We want net exports to contribute at least 50% to growth. If this happens, our country will have a much safer, more sustainable, and stronger economic structure. We believe that in 2026 and beyond, our exporters will have a major contribution to this growth.”
“We Should Not, and Can Not Have the Luxury to Abandon Textile”
Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) President Şekib Avdagiç said, “Textile is our beloved sector. From now on, we should not, and cannot, have the luxury to sacrifice or abandon textile.”
Avdagiç stated that this fair would provide them the opportunity to do this much faster and more effectively, adding: “Currently, our region is under very difficult conditions. There is a war involving many states around us. However, despite all this, as Türkiye, we have once again seen ourselves and shown the whole world that we have strong economic foundations. Despite the naysayers, our country continues its march steadily with solid macro balances. Türkiye, with its success in defense industry over the last 20 years, its military power, deep-rooted diplomacy tradition, and strong economy, shows a stance prioritizing justice and establishing peace in this period.”
Avdagiç reiterated, “Textile is our beloved sector. From now on, we should not, and cannot, have the luxury to sacrifice or abandon textile. We have a very serious investment here. We have a very serious accumulation.”
He noted that they would adapt to customer expectations both in terms of cost and product, fulfill the requirements of global competition, and maintain market shares, emphasizing that the most important export market is European Union countries, and that topics from updating the Customs Union Agreement, visa freedom, European Green Deal, to digitalization directly affect the textile sector.
