President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan highlighted Türkiye’s growing export base and continued economic expansion Saturday while praising the international reach of the MÜSİAD EXPO trade fair and warning that rapid advances in artificial intelligence must remain grounded in human values.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 21st MÜSİAD EXPO International Trade Fair and 29th International Business Forum in Istanbul, Erdoğan said the number of Turkish companies exporting goods had risen sharply over the past two decades.
"In 2002, the number of our companies exporting was only 33,000. In 2025, exactly 168,000 of our companies carried out exports,” Erdoğan said.
The four-day MÜSİAD EXPO, which opened Wednesday at the Istanbul Expo Center, brought together Turkish manufacturers, exporters, investors and international buyers across sectors including construction, machinery, energy, food, agriculture, health, textiles and automotive.
Türkiye’s global trade reach
More than 300 companies participated, while organizers expected more than 50,000 professional visitors from 114 countries and more than 400 international buying delegations from over 70 countries.
Erdoğan said he was pleased that the event had developed beyond a traditional trade fair into a platform for international commerce, investment and business diplomacy.
He praised MÜSİAD, the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association, for bringing Türkiye’s production and commercial capacity together with international markets.
Erdoğan said the organization has more than 14,000 members in Türkiye and abroad, represents 60,000 businesses and employs about 3 million people, while maintaining branches and representatives in 84 countries.
MÜSİAD organizers have described the expo as a major platform for establishing international business connections and expanding Turkish companies’ access to new markets. The association says the event is held every two years and is designed to connect investors, industrialists, entrepreneurs and international buyers.
Erdoğan warns AI must keep a human touch
The concurrent 29th International Business Forum focused on artificial intelligence and its impact on people, knowledge and the business world. Its theme was "The Transformation of Humanity and the Business World in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
Erdoğan described artificial intelligence as one of the major technological turning points in modern history, saying its effects were already being felt across health care, education, transportation, agriculture and the economy.
He said increasingly sophisticated AI models and robotics were changing production and consumption while creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs, manufacturers and investors.
But Erdoğan warned against developing the technology without sufficient attention to the human element.
"If you do not give the necessary importance to the human factor while developing artificial intelligence, you may encounter results that are the exact opposite of what you desire,” he said.
He argued that technological progress should not come at the expense of human values, social responsibility and business ethics, urging governments, companies, academics and civil society to consider the broader consequences of AI-driven change.
Erdoğan touts economic growth and exports
Erdoğan also pointed to Türkiye’s recent economic performance, saying the country had remained on a path of stability and that its economy had expanded for 24 consecutive quarters.
"Türkiye’s economy has experienced uninterrupted growth for the last 24 quarters. We are currently the 16th-largest economy in the world and the sixth-largest in Europe,” he said.
He added that per capita national income reached $18,103 in 2025. The figure has also been cited by Trade Minister Ömer Bolat based on official economic data.
Erdoğan said the government would continue pursuing sustainable and balanced growth under the new Medium-Term Program announced 20 days earlier.
He also highlighted the expansion of Türkiye’s export base, presenting the increase in the number of exporting companies as evidence of the country’s growing participation in global trade.
Support for Gaza
The president then turned to the war in Gaza and Türkiye’s position on the conflict, saying Ankara would continue speaking out for Palestinians and calling for accountability over alleged war crimes.
"Palestinian people are not alone or abandoned. Our brothers and sisters in Gaza are not alone in their search for rights and justice,” Erdoğan said.
He said Türkiye would continue to stand with what he described as oppressed people and argued that those responsible for genocide must face legal and historical accountability.
"If those who commit genocide are not brought to justice, if they are not held accountable before the law and history, the same brutality will happen again,” Erdoğan said.
He also criticized Israel in forceful terms, saying Türkiye would continue opposing what he called the policies of an occupying power and standing with Palestinians.
"Those who think themselves chosen and are occupying will have their masks removed,” Erdoğan said. "I want it to be known that, whatever the cost, we will stand against the oppressor and alongside the oppressed.”
Erdoğan further said war crimes suspects should face courts rather than international political platforms.
"The place for war criminals is not the U.N. podium, but courtrooms where they will answer for the killings they committed and the blood they shed,” he said.
The president said Türkiye’s stance on Gaza had also encouraged other countries to speak more openly on the issue.
"Türkiye, with its conscientious, honorable, moral and courageous stance, has both given hope to the oppressed and encouraged other countries,” he said.
The closing ceremony brought the 2026 MÜSİAD EXPO to an end after four days of trade meetings, panels, diplomatic engagements and business negotiations.
Organizers said the event was designed not only to showcase Turkish products but also to turn international contacts into longer-term commercial partnerships.