Turkish export growth set to boom: Raft of FTAs to fuel growth

This year is expected to see considerable growth in Turkish exports. While the government has made bold growth projections on the outflow of Turkish goods, exporters remain concerned about a number of obstacles that hinder trade. “We have set our year-end target at $100 billion,” said State Minister for Foreign Trade Kursad Tuzmen in a recent statement to the press. This is an impressive spike given that Turkey earned $86 billion in 2006, with 2009 expected to fetch as much as $125 billion, based on a report prepared by the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly. Germany, Britain and Italy take the lion’s share of Turkish products, which translate into $9.7 billion, $6.8 billion and $6.7 billion worth of goods respectively. Diversification of exports constitutes one plank in the government initiative to achieving sustainable performance and increase Turkey’s share in world trade. Manufactured goods dominate exports, followed by agricultural goods and mining. According