Turkey’s exports increased to a record level of $111.38 billion, marking a raise by 20.18 percent in the period between January and October this year compared with the same period in 2010, according to figures published by Turkey’s Exporters Assembly (TİM) yesterday.

The hike in exports was $11.88 billion in October, which translated as a raise by 10.64 percent compared to the same month last year. The country’s total exports were expected to reach $135 billion by the end of the year.

“Today marks a new record for our 88-year-old Republic; economy is being written in golden letters in our history,” Economy Minister Zafer Çağlayan said in his speech at TİM’s meeting in the southeastern province of Hakkari, Anatolia news agency reported yesterday.

TİM launches export figures in different Turkish provinces at the beginning of each month and decided to launch October figures in Hakkari, where on Oct. 19, 24 Turkish soldiers were killed in an assault by militants from the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), in the province’s Çukurca district.

“We are gathered here today for unity and brotherhood, against terror, to show that terror will not prevent Turkey from developing and growing. We are here despite everything for the sake of democratization, emancipation, investment, production, exports, employment, unity and brotherhood to give the terrorist organization the best answer,” the minister said.

“We do not want Hakkari to be associated with terror, but rather with investment, exports, industry and tourism,” TİM’s General Chairman Mehmet Büyükekşi said in his speech at the meeting.

Hakkari exports were $300,000 between January and October, Büyükekşi said. “However, Hakkari’s potential should not be at this [low] level. The province must produce and export more.”

Middle East exports grow

Despite a slowdown in exports to European countries in October, exports have boosted to other regions, Büyükekşi said. “Our exports to Iraq grew by 38 percent, to Russia by 21 percent, to Saudi Arabia 69 percent, to Azerbaijan 44 percent and to Ukraine by 28 percent.”

Exports to Syria and Libya fell by 24 and 65 percent respectively, he said.

“It is also crucial to mention the monthly increase of our exports by 102 percent to Egypt, by 38 percent to Morocco, to Tunisia by 1 percent and to Israel by 29 percent,” Büyükekşi said.

Automotive leads

The automotive industry was the sector with largest exports at the level of $1.78 billion in October, followed by chemicals and related by-products with $1.4 billion. The steel and ready-wear sectors ranked third with more than $1.32 billion exports each.

Gaziantep was the Turkish province where exports increased at highest rate in October compared to the same month in 2010, by 31 percent, TİM figures showed. The figure was 25 percent for Ankara, 16 percent for Manisa and 4 percent for Istanbul. Meanwhile, Bursa exports fell by 1 percent.