At the 13th Istanbul Fashion Conference last week, organized by the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers’ Association (TGSD) and Istanbul Apparel Exporters Association (IHKIB), Industry and Technology Minister Mustafa Varank informed that Turkey ranks sixth among all countries in the world in terms of garment and readywear industry exports.
Varank said, the Turkish garment industry recorded a $16.5 billion external trade surplus in 2019. He underlined that over one million workers are directly employed in the industry and 68 per cent of employees are women. The minister reiterated the government’s support to sectoral aggregations in many provinces. He informed that the government has set up organized industrial zones in northwestern Bolu, Bursa and Yalova, and southeastern Kahramanmara, Kilis and Diyarbakr.
Varank further underlined that the government supports the garment industry’s research, development and innovation projects through Turkey’s top scientific body, the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK), and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Organization of Turkey (KOSGEB).
