GÖKHAN KURTARAN
SİVAS – Hürriyet Daily News
Turkey’s top exporters, including Mehmet Büyükekşi (C), speak at a press conference in Sivas on Nov. 1, 2010.
Turkey’s exports rose to $10.79 billion in October – the highest monthly amount in the past 10 months, the chairman of the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly, or TİM, said Monday.
Turkey’s exports during the January-October period reached $92.6 billion, showing an 11.41 percent increase compared to the same period last year, TİM head Mehmet Büyükekşi said in the Central Anatolian province of Sivas. “Total exports in the past 12 months have grown by 9.12 percent, increasing to $111.63 billion.”
Büyükekşi also said the figures represent an 8.84-percent increase compared to the same period a year ago.
The champion sector in October was automotives, reaching an export volume of $1.69 billion. It was followed by the ready-wear and iron and steel industries, with volumes of $1.37 billion and $1.18 billion, respectively.
Exports of agricultural products reached $1.51 billion with a share of 14.03 percent in total exports. The volume of industrial exports, with a share of 82.64 percent, rose to $8.92 billion. Mining sector exports increased to $359 million, with a share of 3.33 percent in overall exports.
“The highest rise was seen in the mining sector with 68 percent, in leather products with 49.79 percent and animal products with 24.74 percent in October,” said Büyükekşi, adding that the highest amount of exports were achieved by Istanbul, with $5 billion.
The northwestern province of Bursa ranked second with nearly $1 billion, followed by Kocaeli, İzmir, Ankara, Manisa, Gaziantep, Denizli, Sakarya and Hatay. The top exporters list did not include Sivas, a city of half a million people.
Germany’s recovery a big boost
Foreign sales to Germany, Turkey’s main export market, rose 24.2 percent in October. Büyükekşi said the considerable growth of Germany, the best performing country in the eurozone, paved the way for the sharp increase in Turkey’s exports.
According to TİM figures, Turkey increased its exports to Britain by 20.9 percent, to the Netherlands by 11 percent and to Romania by 10.1 percent in October, on an annual basis.
Addressing journalists, Büyükekşi said increasing exports to regional markets was also important in reaching long-term economic targets.
“Turkey increased exports to Iraq by 25 percent, to Russia by 49 percent, to the United Arab Emirates by 70 percent, to Saudi Arabia by 53 percent and to Syria by 13 percent in October,” he said.
Exports to the United States rose 21 percent, to China 90 percent, to Canada 114 percent and to Japan 18 percent, according to TİM data.
Speaking after the TİM chief, Osman Yıldırım, chairman of the Sivas Chamber of Industry and Commerce, said the city has been developing rapidly since 2004. He called on authorities to complete a highway project between Sivas and the northern province of Ordu, located in the Black Sea region. “This road can connect the city to the Black Sea and pave the way for considerable growth in exports.”
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