Exports Reach $200 Billion

Exports Reach USD 200 Billion İsmail Gülle, Chair of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), made remarks at the awards ceremony of the ATHİB Woven Fabric and Design Competition, organized by the Mediterranean Textile Raw Materials Exporters Association. TİM Chair Gülle noted that the USD 200 billion export target was reached in October. Gülle stated: "We have a USD 250 billion export target for 2023. I am very confident and certain that we will achieve this in 2022." ADANA (AA) - Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) Chair İsmail Gülle stated that October's foreign sales reached the highest monthly export figure in the history of the Republic.   The awards ceremony of the ATHİB Woven Fabric and Design Competition was held for the tenth time this year by the Mediterranean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (ATHİB). The ceremony took place at the Adana Museum. TİM Chair Gülle made remarks at the ceremony. Gülle, describing the competition as a highly positive event in opening doors and horizons for new and young designers, noted that Turkey continues to achieve significant success in exports every month. Gülle stated: "Last month our export figure was the highest monthly export figure in the history of the Republic, USD 7.8 billion. This year we reached the USD 200 billion figure. The Republic's first export was USD 50.8 million. Structures like the first textile factory in Turkey, built on blessed lands and present in the current period, continue to inspire us across generations and demonstrate how deeply rooted a past we have."

October Export Coverage Ratio for Imports at 93 Percent

Gülle conveyed that exports, which were USD 1 billion until 1973, reached USD 10 billion in 1987, and they succeeded in reaching the USD 200 billion figure in 2021. Quoting Atatürk's statement from the Izmir Economic Congress, "We cannot be fully independent unless we support independence with economic independence," Gülle stated: "This means you need to sell more than you buy. You must not be in debt. October's export coverage ratio for imports stood at 93 percent. We have covered significant ground on the path to becoming a country with a foreign trade surplus. We will not forget 2020, which they took from us, and 2021, which they gained for us. The ones doing this are exporters. Those who give us all this happiness and bring us pleasant news every month, even during the world's worst times, are them. They gave me the honor of announcing monthly records in the history of the Republic. I thank them all." Following the remarks made at the ceremony, the designs of 10 design students who reached the finals of the competition were displayed on models on the podium. Sema Arı won first place in the competition, Demet Yavuzyiğit came second, and İpek Çakır came third. Awards and monetary prizes were given to the competing participants.