Turkey’s textile and ready wear exports rose 3.8 per cent in 2018. This year, the textile and apparel sector aims to boost exports by around 10 per cent. Turkish exporters are aiming for a five per cent share of the global market. The target is to make the sector, which is currently the seventh-biggest exporter globally, among one of the world's top five.

Africa is a strategic target market. The sector's exports to Africa are up 13.5 per cent year on year. Textile exports to the Americas also picked up last year, along with those to the EU, Turkey’s main trading partner. Turkey is advantageously placed, next to the European market.

South America and the Far East have been identified as this year’s targets. Projects will be carried out for the Japanese and South Korean markets. In 2018 textile and raw materials and ready-wear sectors combined constituted nearly 16 per cent of Turkey’s total exports. The textile and apparel sector plans to turn Turkey’s currency advantage to an opportunity in 2019 and work through its target thanks to Turkish brands instead of contract manufacturing.

Turkey can do quick product turnarounds thanks to its integrated facilities, strong design infrastructure, experience, knowhow, and qualified labor force.