Türkiye's largest metropolis, Istanbul, is set to host the second edition of the premier e-export summit next month. The event brings together dozens of global e-commerce platforms and speakers as global e-commerce trade volume is projected to reach $7 trillion this year.
The biennial Istanbul Global E-Export Summit (IGEXX 2026) will take place on Sept. 3-5 at Haliç Congress Center.
The summit is organized by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) in strategic collaboration with the Electronic Commerce Business Association (ETID), under the coordination of the Ministry of Trade.
This year's gathering, the first following the inaugural one in 2024, is held under the theme "Beyond Borders," underscoring the strategic role of e-commerce trade that transcends countries' borders and is increasingly becoming part of strong competition.
The press briefing ahead of the summit was held at TIM's complex in Istanbul on Wednesday, featuring the participation of Erbülent Kurşun, Deputy Director General of Exports at the Ministry of Trade; Çetin Tecdelioğlu, Vice Chair of the Board at TIM; Hasan Önal, head of the E-Export, Digital Marketing and Disruptive Technologies Department at the Ministry of Trade and ETID Secretary-General Ömer Gürkan.
In his speech, Tecdelioğlu stated: "In the 2024 summit, a transaction volume of over $1 billion was achieved. These are very significant numbers and had a positive impact on our exports in 2024."
Tecdelioğlu also noted that the world is at a historic turning point and said consumers can now shop from the other side of the world with a single touch.
"In this new era, and this new trade order, as Türkiye, we must be a game-changer at the table," he said.
"We have to become producers who sustain and sell the 'Made in Türkiye' brand globally, by being part of global supply chains and the consumption in all marketplaces," he added.
Tecdelioğlu also mentioned that e-commerce volume in the country has reached TL 4.5 trillion, or about $115 billion.
He also said that the goal "is to increase the share of e-exports in total exports to 10%."
Önal, for his part, pointed out that awareness of e-commerce increased during the pandemic, stating that global e-commerce totaled $3.2 trillion in 2019 and is expected to reach $7 trillion by 2026.
He also said that this year’s summit is expected to host 50 marketplaces and feature 28 panels and some 108 speakers, compared to 30 marketplaces and some 90 speakers in 2024.
"Close to or perhaps slightly over 40% of global e-commerce will be present at the Haliç Congress Center," he said.
The summit will feature discussions on topics such as AI-supported trade, new-generation e-commerce, smart logistics, sustainable trade, social trade and others.
