Turkish exports to the U.K. have surpassed $15 billion (TL 642.69 billion) in 11 months this year, according to the head of the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TIM), Mustafa Gültepe, who cited a positive momentum in bilateral relations.
The volume of shipments reached $15.13 billion this January through November, jumping from last year’s figure of $13.87 billion over the same period, Gültepe told Anadolu Agency (AA) on the sidelines of a recent event held in the southern province of Antalya.
He said Türkiye-U.K. relations are at a high level, as Britain’s economy grew "even more vibrant" after leaving the European Union.
"Both political and economic relations between the two countries are going well; most of our sectors saw an increase in exports to the U.K., close to 10%," he said, speaking on the sidelines of the group’s regional export meeting in Antalya to discuss the issues exporters face.
"Developing bilateral relations between the two countries and the U.K. market’s particular interest in Türkiye boosted production and exports, and the rise in automotive, chemical, and other sectors, which is close to double digits, is what was of note the most. We expect exports to the U.K. to continue to rise similarly next year," he added.
Gültepe said the Turkish auto sector has made great strides this year, growing 10%, and the chemical sector grew around 5%, while some sectors didn't, suggesting that all sectors need to grow to propel the country to join the top 10 exporters in the medium-term.
Meanwhile, he said that Türkiye's exports to its neighbors also rose, especially to Syria.
"The cities of Aleppo (in northwestern Syria) and Gaziantep (in southeastern Türkiye) are particularly close to each other – transportation between the two points takes only 90 minutes," he said. "Our exports reached up to $2.5 billion in the past, but recent developments in the country saw exports jumping from $1.5 billion to $3 billion."
"We saw an increase of over 50% in January to November, led particularly by the food and construction sectors, among others, and we believe that more of our sectors will export to Syria moving forward," he added.
