Turkish Textile Industry Exports 2.4 Billion Dollars in the First Quarter of the Year
According to information compiled from the Southeastern Anatolia Exporters’ Association (GAIB) data, textile manufacturers sold products worth 2 billion 423 million 266 thousand dollars to 188 countries and free zones in the first quarter of 2025.
The highest textile exports were made to European Union countries with $925 million 219 thousand. The sector made the highest exports on a country basis to Italy with $196 million 354 thousand. Italy was followed by Spain with $138 million 412 thousand and Egypt with $135 million 732 thousand.
According to sub-groups of goods, the highest exports were in the fabric group with 1 billion 470 million 569 thousand dollars. This group was followed by yarn with 609 million 797 thousand dollars and fiber with 342 million 897 thousand dollars.
The City That Exports the Most Textiles: Istanbul
The city with the highest textile exports was Istanbul with $946 million 298 thousand. Istanbul was followed by Gaziantep with $382 million 245 thousand in foreign sales and Bursa with $317 million 488 thousand in exports. Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023, ranked fourth. Kahramanmaraş increased its exports, which were $180 million 323 thousand last year, by 18 percent to $212 million 721 thousand.
TIM Textile and Raw Materials Sector Board Chairman Ahmet Fikret Kileci told AA correspondent that the textile sector is taking strong steps towards recovery and growth as of 2025. Stating that they are working hand in hand with sector stakeholders to assume a more effective role in global markets, Kileci said, “Textile is not only a branch of industry, but also a culture, tradition and one of Türkiye’s strongest window on the world. In 2025, we aim to make our presence in the sector more visible on a global scale by taking bolder steps in alternative markets.”
“We are Now in the Era of Transforming Production”
Kileci emphasized that in order to achieve this goal, it would not be enough to just produce, they also had to rethink the way of production, and noted: “We are now in the era of transforming production. Building a production model that is based on sustainability, compatible with the environment and integrated with digital technologies is indispensable for our sector to walk safely into the future. We are in intense contact with our ministries during this process. It is of great importance that each region is evaluated with its own dynamics, geographical conditions, logistic advantages and disadvantages, and that incentive mechanisms are redesigned accordingly.”
Stating that the current figures support their efforts, Kileci said that economic indicators are giving signals of recovery and that as a sector, they have to think not only about today but also about tomorrow.
