Turkish textile exporters, who traditionally send nearly half of their products to European markets, are redirecting their attention to Syria and North African countries as their share in the EU continues to decline.
The drop has been attributed to weakening competitiveness, increased Chinese exports to Europe following U.S. tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump and slowing demand across the continent.
At a meeting in Istanbul evaluating the sector’s performance in 2025, Ahmet Öksüz, chairman of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (İTHİB), noted that the industry’s share in the EU market fell to 40 percent last year and is expected to decline further this year.
He explained that while the EU market faces challenges, exports to North Africa have risen by 14 percent.
Addressing perceptions about a migration of textile production to Egypt, Öksüz clarified that the sector has not relocated en masse.
“There is a belief that half of the industry has moved to Egypt and the other half is preparing to leave. That is not the case,” he said.
“Our main goal is to preserve existing capacities in Türkiye. We advise those who invest abroad to maintain part of their production here. Regional thinking is crucial,” Öksüz added.
“Starting production abroad is not as easy as it seems. If it is difficult in Türkiye, it is ten times harder elsewhere. We have already proven that we can succeed under tough conditions,” he said.
According to data from the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), the ready-to-wear and apparel industry’s exports amounted to $16.77 billion in 2025, declining 6.3 percent compared to 2024.
The share of the industry in Türkiye’s exports ($237.4 billion) was 7.1 percent last year.
Meanwhile, Mustafa Gültepe, President of the Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM), emphasized that labor-intensive sectors have lost competitiveness over the past two and a half years.
He stressed that if expectations are met, Türkiye could surpass the Medium-Term Program’s export target of $282 billion for 2026.
“Despite the challenges, we increased exports by 4.5 percent in 2025, reaching $273.4 billion. However, we must analyze the picture carefully. Of the $11.6 billion increase in exports last year, $7.7 billion came from just five companies in the automotive, defense and jewelry sectors,” Gültepe said.
