Aegean Exporters' Stars Receive Their Awards

Aegean Exporters Associations awards exporters who earned Turkey TRY 18.5 billion in 2025 at "Export Stars Awards Ceremony"; recognized 51 award winners across 17 categories.

At the "Export Stars Awards Ceremony" organized by Aegean Exporters Associations (EİB), companies that generated TRY 18.5 billion in export revenue for Turkey in 2025 received their awards.

"Turkey's economy passed a multi-layered test"
EİB Coordinator President Jak Eskinazi, speaking at the ceremony, noted that 2025 was a year of "moderate but fragile" growth for the global economy, stating:

"High geopolitical and financial risks guided the global economy in 2025. In this environment, Turkey's economy also passed a multi-layered test. Sectors conducting euro-based exports gained some advantages, while dollar-based export sectors faced greater challenges. The high cost of financing increased private sector foreign currency borrowing, creating vulnerability to potential currency shocks."

Eskinazi noted that profitability and employment were under pressure particularly in labor-intensive sectors, and some companies relocated production abroad due to cost advantages.

"Without parity effects, our exports would have declined"
Eskinazi, reporting that EİB's 2025 exports reached TRY 18.5 billion, made the following assessment:

"Our exports increased by 1 percent in 2025. However, when this growth is adjusted for parity effects, there was actually a 1.7 percent decline. Without parity effects, our exports would have been lower than in 2024."

Aegean Region failed to capture its share of export growth
Eskinazi, citing Ministry of Commerce data, stated that Turkey's exports in 2025 increased by 4.5 percent to USD 273.4 billion, while the Aegean Region grew by only 0.6 percent to reach USD 43.7 billion.

Regional performance was reported as follows:

-Izmir: USD 23.6 billion – third place nationally

-Manisa: USD 7.4 billion – 3.5 percent decline

-Denizli: USD 4.5 billion – 6.4 percent increase

"How sustainable is this export performance?"
Eskinazi, emphasizing that export figures alone are insufficient in reflecting field realities, raised the following question:

"The real question that needs to be asked is: at what cost, with what profitability, and how sustainably has this export been achieved?"

The EİB Coordinator President said that over 8,000 companies exported in 2025, the top 100 companies realized 59 percent of exports, and award-winning companies comprised 38 percent of total exports with a volume of USD 7 billion.

Predictability warning: "Investments are being postponed, risks are not being taken"
Eskinazi, noting that predictability is 2026's biggest concern, stated:

"Where there is no predictability, long-term plans are not made, investments are postponed, risks are not taken. The biggest side effect of the inflation reduction program has been loss of profitability and erosion of equity in labor-intensive export sectors."

Expectations for 2026
Eskinazi's 2026 projections were summarized as follows:

Tight monetary policy will continue

-Real value of TL will be preserved

-Strong TL policy will continue

-Euro/Dollar parity may move in Euro's favor

-No easing expected in credit channels

-Pressures in labor-intensive sectors will persist

Turkish Exporters Assembly President Gültepe: "2025 was an extremely difficult year"
Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) President Mustafa Gültepe, in his remarks at the ceremony, evaluated 2025 with the following words:

"2024 was a difficult year, 2025 was even more difficult. Despite all challenges, we increased our exports by 4.5 percent to USD 273.4 billion and set an annual record."

Gültepe stated that export growth was USD 11.6 billion, of which USD 7.7 billion came from just five companies in the automotive, defense and jewelry sectors.

"Without parity effects and contributions from five companies, we would have ended the year in deficit"
Gültepe, drawing attention to the USD 5.4 billion parity effect, spoke as follows:

"Without parity effects and contributions from five companies, we could have ended 2025 in deficit. Because the balance between costs and exchange rates has been disrupted, net exports have been dragging down growth for four quarters."

"We are struggling in global competition"
Gültepe, pointing to the damage experienced by labor-intensive sectors, listed the following solution proposals:

-Increase employment support to TRY 6,000

-Raise minimum wage support to TRY 2,500

-Effective implementation of foreign currency return support

-Access to favorable-rate and long-term financing

"Under these conditions, we cannot compete in the global arena. We are trying to export our inflation along with our products," he said.

Ministry: TRY 45 billion support planned for 2026
Ministry of Commerce Export Director General Mehmet Ali Kılıçkaya disclosed 2026 support plans as follows:

"We provided a total of TRY 33 billion in export support in 2025. In 2026, we plan to make available a total of TRY 45 billion to our exporters, consisting of TRY 32.8 billion for goods and TRY 12.2 billion for services."

Kılıçkaya stated that Izmir ranked third nationally with USD 23.6 billion in exports in 2025, and the number of exporters in the province approached 15,000.

Top Exporting Companies
The top exporting companies among EİB members were ranked as follows:

-PETKİM Petrokimya Holding A.Ş.

-Kılıç Deniz Ürünleri Üretimi İhracat İthalat ve Ticaret A.Ş.

-Pergamon Status Dış Ticaret A.Ş.