Exports of the defense and aviation firms operating in Istanbul from January to November saw a 54.2 percent increase and exceeded $419 million, suggesting that Istanbul accounted for 27.3 percent of the total defense and aviation exports in Turkey.

According to data compiled from the Turkish Exporters' Assembly (TİM), Turkish defense and aviation firms have delivered a successful export performance since the beginning of the year and generated $1.5 billion. A total of $419 million defense and aviation exports are generated by Istanbul-based companies. Therefore, Istanbul firms accounted for 27.3 percent of the total defense and aviation exports from January to November.

According to TİM data, the total exports of the Istanbul-based firms were recorded at $56.9 billion in the first 11 months of the year. Exports by the companies in the metropolitan city stood at $52.2 billion last year from January to November. In the first 11-month period, Istanbul firms registered a 9.1 percent increase in exports compared to the same period last year.

Ready-to-wear and the textile industry topped Istanbul exports, reaching $11.4 billion from January to November. Chemical products followed textile and ready-to-wear with $6.1 billion, and steel exports came in third with $5.5 billion in the same period. The automotive industry generated $5.2 billion in exports.

The export of electric and electronic services, iron, non-iron metals, raw textile materials, jewelry, machines, machine components, grain, pulse, furniture, air-conditioning, cement, mining products as well as glass and ceramic products from Istanbul exceeded $1 billion.

TİM data also shows that products exported from Istanbul reached 248 destinations in the first 11 months of the year. Istanbul's exports to Germany totaled $6.2 billion, and the country was followed by the U.K. with $3.8 billion. Exports from Istanbul to Spain, Italy and Iraq were recorded at $2.6 billion, $2.5 billion and $2.2 billion, respectively.