TİM and exporters to launch 200 trade missions in 2026

ISTANBUL

The Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM) and exporters’ associations will organize more than 200 trade missions in 2026, according to plans unveiled at the launch of the “2026 Trade Missions and B2B Target Countries Strategy.”

Speaking at the event, Mehmet Ali Kılıçkaya, director general of exports at the Trade Ministry, announced that a total of 45 billion Turkish Liras has been allocated to support exporters next year. “We have set aside 33 billion liras for goods exports and 12 billion liras for services exports,” he said.

TİM Chairman Mustafa Gültepe emphasized the importance of trade missions and international fairs in showcasing Türkiye’s production capacity. “We have a strong industrial base,” he said.

“In some agricultural products, we are global leaders. In certain industrial sectors, we rank among the top three. We also have industries where we are recognized as global players. The ‘Made in Türkiye’ brand today stands for quality and trust worldwide,” he added.

Gültepe noted that TİM aims to further strengthen this image. “Wherever we believe participation will enhance the ‘Made in Türkiye’ brand, we join fairs with our exporters’ associations,” he said. “We also run an intensive program of trade missions. This year alone, we carried out around 200 missions and took part in more than 300 fairs. These events open doors to new markets, connect our companies with new buyers and help us build fresh partnerships in existing markets," he said.

He stressed that 32 of these missions were organized directly by TİM, bringing together 546 Turkish companies with nearly 4,000 international firms and resulting in around 9,000 bilateral business meetings.

Looking ahead, Gültepe said TİM plans 38 missions in 2026, while exporters’ associations will organize the rest, pushing the total beyond 200. “In developed markets, we will launch a new era of ‘TİM Vision Missions,’” he explained. “These programs will not be limited to B2B meetings. We will also host sectoral panels to bring together key market players and opinion leaders,” he added.

Gültepe acknowledged the challenges exporters have faced in recent years. “Our production costs in dollar terms are at least 50 to 60 percent higher than those of our Asian competitors and 15 to 20 percent higher than in Eastern Europe,” he said. “This makes it difficult to compete on price. For some time, we have been exporting not only our products but also our inflation. As a result, in many sectors where we are strong, our competitiveness has weakened,” he said.

TİM Vice Chairman Ahmet Güleç outlined the trade missions planned for 2026, covering 25 countries, including Ethiopia, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Tanzania and Guinea, Egypt, South Africa, Argentina, Chile, Qatar, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Indonesia and Oman.