The Turkish textile industry hopes to hit the ground running in the post-Covid era by forging lucrative partnerships with globally recognised brands and textile companies to reach a production capacity of $100 billion in the coming years.

“The imminent recovery of international trade offers enormous opportunities for cooperation between Turkish textile firms and foreign partners,” said Ahmet Öksüz, president of the Istanbul Textile and Raw Materials Exporters Association (ITHIB). “We are going through times in which global brands – and especially technical textile companies – need more and more cooperation. By establishing win-win relationships, we wish to turn the pandemic era into an era of opportunities.

“Our domestic textile sector boasts a number of top-notch businesses that have already proven themselves in the global marketplace.”

According to Öksüz, the upward momentum in the field of technical textiles in recent years the sector’s impressive production capacity along with Turkey’s strategic position between Europe and Asia, offer the chance for potential partnerships that could bring tremendous benefits to all stakeholders.

“This will soon be reflected in our trade figures,” he said.

The world’s fifth largest supplier of textiles, Turkey expects to export roughly $12 billion worth of textiles in 2021, and $30 billion including finished apparel. The sector currently employs more than one million people.

“It’s a highly dynamic sector, characterised by a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship,” Öksüz said. “Our deeply rooted and integrated textile industry is renewing itself every passing day supported by our R&D and innovation capacity.”

Thanks to a ground-breaking Customs Union agreement between Turkey and the European Union that came into effect in 1996, the Turkish textile industry is fully compliant with EU standards and norms.

“The agreement is a concrete example of the sector’s ability to quickly adapt to change, and we fully comply with all EU standards, including the European Green Deal,” Öksüz said. “With a view to contributing to a greener world, we have reduced carbon emissions at all our facilities, and continue to invest in green infrastructure.”

www.ithib.org.tr