Turkey is an important export country. The international sale of textiles, raw materials and clothing plays a central role in the national economy. In 2024, the industry accounted for around seven percent of total employment in the country. The exports of textiles and clothing clothing amounted to $ 32.1 billion (29.41 billion euros). Turkey is still in sixth place in the largest clothing exporters worldwide and is the third largest supplier for the European clothing market.
In recent years, however, the country has faced challenges, including the consequences of the devastating earthquake in the south of Türkiye in 2023 and the effects of COVID-19 pandemic. “The loss of export during this period was $ 4.2 billion, and 262,000 jobs were lost,” said Mustafa Gültepe, Chairman of the Turkish Exporters Assembly, the Istanbul Ready-to-Wear and Apparel Exporter ‘Association and deputy chairman of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Council, while a press conference.
However, these setbacks were hardly noticeable on the seventh edition of the Texhibition in Istanbul with over 500 exhibitors from 125 countries. The fair offers an insight into the resilience of the industry, which – like a flower that grows through concrete – hopes to recover from difficult times.
New markets outside of Europe
The Turkish textile industry is increasingly focusing on the development of new markets and the extraction of new customers: inside, exhibiting the Texhibition reports. “All Turkish companies face the same challenges. The sales figures are falling and the market is saturated, ”explains a spokeswoman for Yenel Etiket, a label manufacturer that was founded in 1990. The largest competitor of the company is an exporter: inside from China. “We do not understand how the Chinese can keep their prices so low – sometimes they are below our own production costs.” The company describes how it could still win new customers: “During the Chinese New Year, when most Chinese producers were on vacation, we specifically addressed Neukund: Inside – with success.”
“Europe is saturated,” says a spokeswoman for Toraman Tekstil, one of the leading companies in the area of knitting goods, founded in 1999. Despite well -known customers: Inside such as Zara, Bershka and Asos, the company is recording a decline in export numbers. In order to counteract this, Toraman Tekstil relies on innovative designs with consistently high quality and focuses on markets in South Africa, Latin America and Brazil.
Akspa Tekstil, founded in 2000, recognizes these challenges, but emphasizes the quality of the Turkish industry. The company produces three million meters of fabric for fashion houses such as Inditex, H&M and C&A every year. A company spokeswoman praises the international orientation of the Texhibition: “90 percent of our production are exported – mainly to Spain, France, Germany, the USA, Latin America, Poland, Portugal and Morocco.” Their goal is to strategically gain new customers: inside.
Türkiye relies on innovations
In addition to the development of new markets, the Turkish textile industry is increasingly focusing on innovations in order to stand out from the competition. Numerous developments were presented in the innovation Lab of the fair, including a particularly soft fabric that withstands temperatures of up to 3,000 degrees and protects against fire for seven hours. It is made from biodegradable carbon fibers. A dress that was visually and haptically reminded of leather, but was made of pomegranate shells was also impressive.
ISIK Etiket, a Turkish manufacturer of labels and packaging solutions, presented a new QR code technology. This enables consumers: to obtain additional information inside by scanning the code on a piece of clothing-for example a digital city guide function that brings a city map from London on a T-shirt with relevant information on the smartphone.
Win a new generation of specialists
Despite numerous innovations, the industry continues to focus on proven craft traditions. Turkey is known for its excellently trained specialists. But the Corona pandemic and the earthquakes have not only shaken the physical infrastructure of the country, but also changed the attitudes of many workers: inside to work and to life. “Many people have reorganized their priorities and are now working less,” said a spokeswoman for the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce.
In the Kahramanmaraş region, which was strongly hit by the earthquake in 2023, the textile industry is fighting with a shortage of skilled workers. Industry leaders hope that increased training programs will help to win new talents and to secure the competitiveness of Türkiye in the long term.
The Texhibition Istanbul is organized by the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters’ Association (ITHIB) and the Chamber of Commerce Istanbul (ICC). The next edition will take place from September 10th to 12th, 2025.
This article previously appeared on Fashionunited.nl and was used with digital tools translated.
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