THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
Related Articles
Press release…
In 2025, a year marked by increased geopolitical risks in global trade, persistent protectionist tendencies and tougher competitive conditions, the Mediterranean Exporters’ Associations (AKİB) achieved an export success of 16.8 billion dollars and started 2026 with 1.41 billion dollars.
AKİB Coordinator Chair Veysel Memiş stated that they achieved significant momentum in the fresh fruit and vegetable and ready-to-wear clothing sectors in the first month of the year, announcing export spikes of up to 334 percent in the Moroccan, Georgian, Dutch, Polish and Russian markets.
‘The FTAs signed by the EU with MERCOSUR countries and India pose serious risks’
Pointing out that there was a limited 6 percent decline in regional exports in January compared to the same period last year, Veysel Memiş said, “While our exporters are struggling with rising labour, energy, raw material and operating costs, conditions in global markets are also becoming more difficult. Geopolitical uncertainties, protectionist barriers to trade, and increasingly difficult market entry conditions are undermining our competitive strength.”
Referring specifically to the new trade agreements of the European Union, Türkiye’s largest export market, Veysel Memiş highlighted that the free trade agreements signed by the EU with the MERCOSUR (South America Common Market) countries and India pose serious risks for Türkiye in the medium and long term.
Underlining that these agreements would not only lead to a loss of market share in the EU, but would also pave the way for duty-free entry into Türkiye of products originating in India and South America via the EU, he added, “Many of our strategic sectors, from ready-to-wear clothing to automotive, jewellery to machinery, could be negatively affected by this process. Therefore, our country also needs to accelerate its commercial diplomacy efforts. We expect the Customs Union to be updated and similar collaborations to be implemented.”
