Turkish auto industry exports surpassed $3 billion (TL 130.51 billion) last month, recording its highest-ever January performance, according to a report on Wednesday, citing data from the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM).
Türkiye’s auto sector made a strong start to 2026, with shipments at $3.06 billion last month, an Anadolu Agency (AA) report said. It attributed it to a gradual recovery in global demand and a rise in orders from Europe.
The Turkish auto industry exported goods worth $41.5 billion in 2025, the data showed, being the leading group once again.
In January 2026, auto exports rose 2.2% compared with the same period last year, and the sector’s share of total exports reached 17.4%.
The sector’s January exports were at $3 billion in 2025, $2.8 billion in 2024, $2.7 billion in 2023, $2.23 billion in 2022 and $2.26 billion in 2021, according to TIM.
Germany led the list of countries with the highest volume of received goods from the sector in January 2026, totaling $490 million. It was followed by France with $311 million, Spain with $291.7 million, the United Kingdom with $283.3 million and Italy with $267.9 million.
Exports to Poland rose the highest among all destinations, increasing by $58.7 million, followed by Italy with $36.5 million, Spain with $36.2 million, Germany with $28.2 million and Austria with $19.3 million.
The Turkish auto sector's exports to Poland totaled $177.5 million, and at $44.8 million to Austria in the same period.
The northwestern Turkish province of Kocaeli accounted for the highest auto exports in January 2026 with $828.6 million, followed by exports from Istanbul with $664.6 million, the northwestern cities of Bursa and Sakarya with $588.5 million and $504.3 million, respectively, and lastly the capital, Ankara, with $126.7 million.
