65% Increase Recorded in Textile Exports

After January and February, the Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association became the record-holder for growth in March as well, earning USD 35 million for Turkey with an 81% increase, and raised its exports to USD 90 million in the first quarter of 2021 with a 65% rise. Speaking at the 2019 and 2020 Ordinary General Assembly meeting, Aegean Exporters Associations Coordinator President and Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association Board Chairman Jak Eskinazi said, "Despite all negative developments in 2020, our Association's textile exports showed growth compared to the previous year, and despite the pandemic we achieved USD 240 million in exports with a 6% increase. In the textile and ready-to-wear sectors combined, Turkey's total exports of USD 25.6 billion in 2020 decreased to USD 24.4 billion with a 5% loss. Our region's total textile and ready-to-wear exports increased from USD 1.5 billion to USD 1.6 billion with a 1% rise. As the Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association, we started 2021 in January with a 50% increase in our exports. In February we achieved a 65% export increase, and in March a 81% export increase. In the first three months we reached USD 90 million in exports with a 65% export increase."

Export targets rising in technical textiles

Eskinazi noted that in 2020 the effort to protect against the virus increased interest in medical textile products, and that medical textile product exports reached USD 1.4 billion with an astronomical 2,204% increase in 2020. "The Aegean's medical technical textile exports increased by 4,582%. Surgical garments and masks were the main drivers of medical technical textile export growth. Turkey's total technical textile exports increased 76% in 2020 to reach USD 3 billion, while the Aegean Region's technical textile exports rose 98% to USD 194 million. Together with our Ready-to-Wear Association, we have been implementing the 'Project to Increase Export Potential in the Technical Textiles Sector URGE Project' since 2019. As part of our URGE project, with the pandemic rapidly increasing global demand in the fields of medical, protective and sports textiles, we continue to provide six-month 'Protective and Medical Technical Textile Product Development Consulting Services' to six project participant companies through TEKSMER to develop our firms' capacities."

166 students earned scholarship eligibility

Eskinazi, explaining that together with the Aegean Ready-to-Wear and Garment Exporters Association they have continued promotion activities in 2019 and 2020 to improve perception of textile engineering in Turkey, and that scholarships were provided to students scoring in the top 80,000 and choosing Textile Engineering, continued his remarks as follows: "We are beginning to see positive results from the scholarship and promotion activities; both the relevant department quotas have been filled and the scores of Textile Engineering Departments have increased. Since the launch of our project in 2019, 166 students have earned scholarship eligibility. In the coming period we will continue promotion activities for Textile Engineering."

Efforts accelerating to prioritize domestic cotton production

Jak Eskinazi explained that efforts are being intensified with sector representatives to increase domestic production to meet Turkey's 1.5 million ton cotton requirement through domestic production. "On 7 October 2020, we held the World Cotton Day event with the main theme 'Facts About Cotton' online for the first time. Our Association, the National Cotton Council, İzmir Chamber of Commerce, Söke Chamber of Commerce, Aegean Clothing Manufacturers Association and Good Cotton Practices Association organized three online sessions discussing the Importance of Cotton for Turkey, Preferred Cottons Produced in Turkey, and Traceability and High Fibre Quality in Cotton and Cotton Trade. To better explain the importance of cotton to Turkey's economy, textile and garment exports, particularly to producers, we prepared a national television broadcast in cooperation with Farmer TV. Through this we aimed to inform farmers ahead of the cotton planting season and encourage them to increase cotton production."

We will hold Spain Digital Sectoral Trade delegation

Jak Eskinazi said, "Our Association, Aegean Furniture, Paper and Forest Products Exporters Association, Aegean Mining Exporters Association launched the Convention-Breaking Design Competition in 2020 with the theme 'Futuristic Workspace Furniture,' based on the Covid-19 pandemic experienced worldwide and in our country. Our activities in sustainability and digitalization accelerated. With the pandemic bringing forward e-commerce development by 5 years, we provided intensive training to help our members develop in this direction. Virtual fairs and virtual trade delegation organizations were arranged. We will continue to reach our main markets and new export markets by leveraging the benefits of digitalization. Between 24-28 May 2021, together with Uludağ Textile Exporters Association and our Ready-to-Wear Association, we will hold a Spain Digital Sectoral Trade delegation targeting the Spanish market. Our event will include 45 participating companies for bilateral business meetings in the fabric and ready-to-wear sectors."

Textile exporters continue to create added value

Jak Eskinazi, explaining that activities related to sustainability will continue, said, "As Aegean Exporters Associations, our fundamental objective became 'to conduct exports with a smaller carbon footprint' and we will continue to carry out activities and projects covering all our sectors, particularly our textile and ready-to-wear sectors. Work related to the Technical Textiles Research and Application Centre will continue. In 2021, dialogue will continue with other Associations, Chambers of Commerce and Industry Chambers and other sister organizations for solving sectoral problems. Work will continue with relevant authorities on Export Regime and Regulations, incentives, government assistance and other matters, and attempts will be made to find solutions to our members' problems related to these issues." Eskinazi added that in combating the increasingly pressing problems of the cotton and textile sector, solutions contributing to the sector will be produced by taking an active role in government consultations together with relevant organizations. "In addition to creating new customers and markets, we will continue information activities on opportunities to create added value by increasing product diversity. In this context, work such as meetings with universities and webinars will be increased. We will hold regular meetings with officials from the Ministry of Trade, Treasury and Finance Ministry, Turkey Exporters Assembly and other relevant institutions to continue solving the problems of our members and the sector." The Aegean Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association's 2021 budget was set at TRY 5,275,000 and the work program was approved.