Speaking at the 31st Ordinary General Assembly of Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) and Export Champions Award Ceremony, President Erdoğan said: “We will build a more competitive, more prosperous, more productive and more powerful Türkiye together, with the contributions of you, our exporters.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan made a speech at the 31st Ordinary General Assembly of Türkiye Exporters Assembly (TİM) and Export Champions Award Ceremony in Istanbul.
“WE SEE OUR EXPORTERS AS THE VANGUARD OF TRADE DIPLOMACY”
President Erdoğan said: “I would like to thank each of our 150,000 exporters for delivering our products carrying the ‘Made in Türkiye’ mark to all corners of the world. As I always say, we see our exporters as the vanguard of trade diplomacy, pioneers, and flag bearers of the Turkish economy abroad. I have always taken joy and great pride in walking this path with you so far.”
Stressing that he has always been by Turkish exporters’ side in all their efforts, President Erdoğan stated: “As Prime Minister and President, I have kept our doors wide open for you. We have tried to personally address every issue you faced, finding practical, sustainable, and lasting solutions. You worked, and we helped you. You produced, and we supported you. You exported, and we facilitated your business. You sought new markets, and we paved the way for you. In every meeting we held with visiting heads of state and government, your requests were always on the agenda. We ensured your participation in nearly every foreign visit.”
“EXPORTS ARE THE LOCOMOTIVE OF THE TURKISH ECONOMY”
Drawing attention to the bridges of trade built between Türkiye and the rest of the world through agreements, forums, fairs and events, President Erdoğan said: “We carried Türkiye from being a country whose annual exports stood at just 36 billion dollars to its current levels together with you. We now export in a single day what we did in a week in 2002. We have spread exports across the entire country, with no province left that does not export. We have companies that exported to the extent of being among the top 1000 exporting companies in our 48 provinces in 2023.”
Describing exports as the locomotive of the Turkish economy, President Erdoğan said: “Exports are the shortest way for Türkiye to accomplish its goals. Türkiye is a country for which it is imperative to grow by producing, creating employment, and exporting rather than by consuming. Our 150 thousand brothers and sisters represented by the Türkiye Exporters Assembly fulfill such an important duty for our country.”
“OUR MAY EXPORTS OF 24.1 BILLION DOLLARS WERE THE HIGHEST MAY EXPORT VALUE IN HISTORY”
President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “Not only us but also numbers clearly tell the success story in Türkiye’s foreign trade, written with your efforts. 2023 was a successful year in terms of exports despite the Russia-Ukraine War and the February 6 earthquakes. We closed the year 2023 with a total of 355 billion dollars in exports, 255.4 billion dollars in goods and 101.7 billion dollars in services. These export figures set a new record in our Republican history. This amount was taken to an upper level with the figures announced last week. Our May exports of 24.1 billion dollars were the highest May export value in history. This record set a new record. Our May exports had the highest monthly export value of all months. As of May, our annualized exports reached a new high of 260.1 billion dollars, up 2.3 percent from the previous year.”
Highlighting that good news in exports are accompanied by positive data in imports, as well, President Erdoğan said: “The downward trend in our imports persisted in May. Our imports fell by 10.3 percent on an annual basis in May. In May 2024, our foreign trade deficit fell by 47.8 percent on an annual basis as a result of the increase in exports and the decrease in imports. In the first five months of 2024, our exports increased to 106.914 billion dollars, up 4.5 percent from the same period last year. We had a net increase of 4.6 billion dollars in goods exports in the first five months.”
“OUR FOREIGN TRADE DEFICIT DECREASED BY 19.2 BILLION DOLLARS IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS”
Drawing attention to the ongoing improvement in Türkiye’s foreign trade deficit, President Erdoğan said: “Our foreign trade deficit decreased by 19.2 billion dollars in the first five months. In addition to the increase in goods exports, we also approach our 2024 targets in service exports. In the first three months of the year, our service exports increased by 8 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 19.9 billion dollars. According to our predictions, in the first five months of the year, our services exports will increase by 8 percent compared to the same period last year, reaching 36.2 billion dollars. We anticipate that our services exports, which amounted to 103.2 billion dollars at the end of the first three months of 2024, will reach 104.3 billion dollars at the end of the first five months.”
President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “The improvement in the current account deficit will turn out far better than the targets set in the Medium Term Program as a result of the improvement in foreign trade balance, the recovery in our trade partners and the increase in tourism revenues. The decrease in the current account deficit will both positively affect the reserve savings and contribute to financial stability. We will definitely reach 276 billion dollars in goods exports and 110 billion dollars in services exports at the end of 2024. We will achieve this with you as we have done over the past 21 years.”
“TURKISH ECONOMY IS PROGRESSING TOWARDS ITS GOALS WITH FIRM STEPS”
Noting that the Turkish economy has entered a period in which the quality of growth has increased and the composition has particularly improved, President Erdoğan stated: “We expect a balanced growth rate of around 4 percent in 2024, with positive contributions from net foreign demand. While the Turkish economy is progressing towards its goals with firm steps, its economic outlook in international circles has also changed significantly. Economic performance in the first year turned out quite well. Our program bears fruits just in the direction we foresaw.”
President Erdoğan continued his remarks as follows: “We will build a more competitive, more prosperous, more productive and more powerful Türkiye together, with the contributions of you, our exporters. To achieve this, however, some patience, determination, and perseverance in the execution of the program we have launched are needed. I also would like you to know that the Turkish economy will rise to a very different league at the end of this process. Once we get rid of the uncertainties that negatively affect the whole world, including developed countries, Türkiye will inshallah be the leading actor of this new era.”
