Turkey’s textile and clothing industry was yesterday (26 August) described as a “shining star” after officials revealed it was the only top-20 exporter to the European Union (EU) to clock up a rise in shipments in the first five months of this year.
Speaking at the launch of Istanbul Fashion Week 2010, Zafer Çaglayan, State Minister for Foreign Commerce, said he was confident exports this year will be on par with levels last seen in 2008 before the economic crisis caused retailers to pare back their orders.
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He said Turkey’s textile and apparel exports to the EU rose 18.5% in euro terms from January to May. In dollars, this translated to a rise of 3.5%. In contrast, the other 19 countries – which include China and India – all saw their exports to the EU fall.
The performance was achieved against a backdrop that saw the EU cut its textile and clothing purchases by 6.3% to $21.9bn in the five-month period, down from $23.4bn in the same period last year.
The figures are significant because the EU accounts for 80% of Turkey’s clothing and textile shipments, with Germany, Italy and the UK among its biggest markets.
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But executives are also buoyant because data shows the the fastest growing markets for Turkey’s exports include Tunisia, Iran, Syria, Azerbaijan – which points to a new and important direction for trade that takes advantage of its location as a “gateway” between east and west.
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By GlobalData“The global crisis has taught us to knock on every door and look at other regions of the world,” Çaglayan said. “The textile industry confirms this,” he noted, adding: “We also want to take the industry in a new direction and create added value.”
Central to this strategy are moves to transform the sector from a manufacturing base into a fashion hub with its own designs, brands and collections.
Playing a key role is Istanbul Fashion Week, which brings together 21 fashion shows from 20 designers and six brands over the course of four days and is expected to attract 40,000 visitors. Its aim is to raise the profile of Turkey’s fashion designers and put them on the international stage.
“The government has set important goals to establish Turkey as a centre of finance, a centre of IT, a centre for congresses and events, and a centre of fashion,” commented Çaglayan. “And it deserves to be a centre of fashion because it has the designers, infrastructure, manufacturers, and a qualified workforce.”
