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Minister Bolat: Foreign trade is essential for us, our priority is exports

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat, speaking at a meeting with the business community in Düzce, emphasized the critical role of foreign trade in Türkiye’s economy, noting that exports and imports account for more than half of the national income. He underlined that foreign trade is therefore indispensable and stressed that exports remain the top priority.

Minister Bolat: Foreign trade is essential for us, our priority is exports

Bolat, who visited the Düzce Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated in his speech at the “Meeting with the Business Community” program that Düzce has risen to become Türkiye’s 19th largest province in exports, reaching approximately USD 2 billion in export volume. Sharing the city’s foreign trade data, Bolat noted that imports remain at around USD 260 million, meaning that Düzce generates a significant foreign trade surplus.

Bolat said that public investments made in Düzce over the last 22 years have reached a total value of 73 billion Turkish liras, emphasizing that this support will continue to increase. He explained that Düzce’s economy is shaped by the “4T model” trade, agriculture, tourism, and transportation while also highlighting that industry has now become a strong additional pillar. With the development of organized industrial zones, he stated that the city’s production capacity is rapidly expanding.

Bolat noted that regulations and inspections aimed at protecting consumers in domestic trade are ongoing, adding that the ministry remains in close contact with approximately 2.3 million tradespeople and 2.3 million companies across Türkiyr. He said that women’s cooperatives are being supported and announced that 60% of the Ministry of Trade’s budget is allocated to export support, with TL 45 billion of the TL 75 billion budget for 2025 dedicated specifically to exporters.

Bolat stated that Türkiye’s total foreign trade volume in goods and services reached USD 820 billion in 2025, while annualized national income rose to USD 1.538 trillion. He emphasized that exports and imports account for more than 50% of national income, and said that a record was set last year with $396 billion in exports of goods and services. He noted that the current account deficit stood at USD 22 billion in the first 11 months, corresponding to 1.4% of national income, which he described as a reasonable level.

Bolat said that when energy and gold imports are excluded, Türkiye does not run a foreign trade deficit. He stated that in 2025 Türkiye imported approximately USD 24–25 billion in gold and USD 62.5–63 billion in energy. He added that the energy bill will decrease as domestic production increases, noting that 15% of daily oil consumption is met from domestic sources, production at the Sakarya Gas Field is rising rapidly, and approximately 6.5 million households are using domestically produced natural gas.

Touching on global geopolitical risks, Bolat said that Türkiye has maintained stability in a challenging international environment and has achieved a strong regional and global position thanks to a strong economy, strong defense sector, and effective foreign policy.

Bolat stated that the Turkish economy has continued to grow for 21 consecutive quarters, with growth reaching 3.7% in the first nine months of 2025. He said unemployment has declined to 8.6%, and inflation has been reduced from around 76% to 30.89%, noting that this year marks a critical phase in the fight against inflation.

Finally, Bolat added that during his visit, he reviewed projects in industry, logistics, and tourism in Düzce, and announced that new support and credit mechanisms for tradespeople and exporters will also be introduced.

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