President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lauded on Saturday the efforts of Turkish exporters for their contribution to the country's economy, underscoring a significant leap in the volume of total shipments abroad and record-breaking exports achieved last year and in the first five months.
“I would like to thank each of our 150,000 exporters for delivering our products to all corners of the world," Erdoğan said in his speech at the 31st Ordinary General Assembly of Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TIM) and Export Champions Award Ceremony in Istanbul.
"As I always say, we see our exporters as the vanguard of trade diplomacy, pioneers, and flag bearers of the Turkish economy abroad. I have always taken joy and great pride in walking this path with you so far,” he noted.
Drawing attention to the bridges of trade built between Türkiye and the rest of the world through agreements, forums, fairs and events, Erdoğan said: “We carried Türkiye from being a country whose annual exports stood at just $36 billion to its current levels together with you."
"We now export in a single day what we did in a week in 2002. We have spread exports across the entire country, with no province left that does not export," he added.
Describing exports as "the locomotive" of the Turkish economy, Erdoğan underscored the importance of a production-based growth model, focusing on exports and creating employment to ensure the country’s economic stability and growth.
Furthermore, the president recalled that in 2023, Türkiye, with $255.4 billion in goods exports and $101.7 billion in services exports set a record with $355 billion in total exports, which marked a significant milestone in the country's history.
He said that this figure was achieved despite the devastating Feb. 6 earthquakes and the Russia-Ukraine war.
Continuing, Erdoğan noted that this amount was taken to an upper level with the figures announced last week.
"Our May exports of $24.1 billion were the highest May export value in history. This set a new record," he said.
"Our May exports had the highest monthly export value of all months. As of May, our annualized exports reached a new high of $260.1 billion, up 2.3% from the previous year,” he added.
Highlighting that good news in exports was accompanied by positive data in imports, as well, the president drew attention to the downward trend in imports and consequntial decrease in the foreign trade gap, while also expressing optimism to achieve this year's export targets.
“The downward trend in our imports persisted in May. Our imports fell by 10.3% on an annual basis in May," he said.
"In May 2024, our foreign trade deficit fell by 47.8% on an annual basis as a result of the increase in exports and the drop in imports. In the first five months of 2024, our exports increased to $106.9 billion, up 4.5% from the same period last year," he remarked.
"Like this, we had a net increase of $4.6 billion in goods exports in the first five months,” he said.
“The improvement in the current account deficit will turn out far better than the targets set in the Medium Term Program as a result of the improvement in the foreign trade balance, the recovery in our trade partners and the increase in tourism revenues," he noted.
"The decrease in the current account deficit will both positively affect the reserve savings and contribute to financial stability."
Additionally, he reiterated the government's aim to achieve $267 billion in goods exports and $110 billion in services exports this year.
Moreover, he also touched upon the government's efforts to support exporters, including increasing the capital of Türk Eximbank and reported that works on different formulas to improve the financing opportunities and introducing new incentives and supports for exporters are ongoing.
In addition to Erdoğan, Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş, Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak, Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek and Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır also attended the event.
President Erdoğan presented the awards to the top exporters in goods, services and e-export categories.
