Türkiye Trade Minister Ömer Bolat has said that Türkiye ranks seventh among all countries worldwide and third in Europe regarding ready-to-wear exports.
He stated this while attending the Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Fashion Fair (Istanbul Fashion Connection-IFCO). “With an export of $20.6 billion (TL 630.35 billion) in ready-to-wear clothing and $12.3 billion in textiles exports, we achieved exports exceeding $30 billion last year,” he said during the event.
The event was organized by the Istanbul Apparel Exporters’ Association (IHKIB) in collaboration with the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) and with the support of the Ministry of Trade. The IFCO on Wednesday and is set to continue through Saturday.
Speaking at the opening of the event held in Istanbul Expo Center, the largest ready-to-wear clothing fair in Europe, the minister touched on the anniversary of last year’s devastating earthquakes, expressing that the power of the society was seen once again with the solidarity displayed as a state and nation in the region impacted by the tremors.
Bolat pointed out that Istanbul emerged as a “fashion center,” while Türkiye has become a production, supply, logistics, trade, energy, and fair center.
The minister emphasized that Türkiye’s garment sector accounts for approximately 13-14 percent of the nation’s total exports. He highlighted advantages such as proximity to target markets, a diverse product range with original designs, being a prominent cotton producer, and the ability to deliver products, all contributing to this success swiftly. Bolat stated that the ready-to-wear apparel and textile sectors would also contribute to the new export target with increasing orders as of the year’s second half.
He said despite the global downturn in exports and imports, Türkiye’s share of global merchandise exports has risen from 1.02 percent to 1.06 percent. We aim to reach 1.30 percent by 2028,” he declared.
