Türkiye’s free zones set export record of $7.7 billion in first seven months

ANKARA

Exports from Türkiye’s 19 free zones rose 6.9 percent year-on-year to a record $7.7 billion in the January-July period.

In a statement, the Trade Ministry said that Türkiye broke its all-time export record in July, noting that exports from free zones increased 11.3 percent in the month to $1.152 billion and remained above the $1 billion threshold.

The ministry noted that the export-to-import coverage ratios of the free zones reached 160.9 percent in the January-July period and stood at 152.5 percent in July. It underlined that these ratios strengthened the net exporter structure and global competitiveness of the country’s 19 free zones.

The statement said the share of exports in total sales from the free zones rose to 76.8 percent in the January-July period, reaching the highest seven-month level on record.

During the first seven months of 2026, the technological composition of the export portfolio of the free zones continued to strengthen, the ministry said.

Products classified as medium-high technology accounted for 50.4 percent of total exports, while high-technology products represented 7 percent. The combined share of these categories reached 57.4 percent, which directly contributed to Türkiye’s value-added export targets, the ministry said.

The statement noted that 1,934 companies, including 474 foreign firms, operated in the 19 free zones during the seven-month period, providing direct employment to 87,655 people.
Of the 2,795 operating licenses allocated, 2,097 were granted to domestic and 698 to foreign firms. The ministry said the share of production-related operating licenses in the total increased to 44.6 percent compared with the previous year.

According to the statement, the Aegean Free Zone increased its exports by $132.2 million, or 7.2 percent, from the same period last year to $1.96 billion in the January-July period, accounting for 25.5 percent of total exports from all free zones on its own.

The Bursa Free Zone increased its exports by 32.7 percent to $1.21 billion. The Antalya Free Zone raised its exports by 227.2 percent in July to $115.1 million, while its exports in the January-July period increased 40.2 percent to $447 million.