THE GLOBAL WINDOW OF TURKISH FOOD AND AGRICULTURE The Global Window of Turkish Food and Agriculture Sector
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Press release…
August 2026…
Cengiz Balık, Chair of the Aegean Fresh Fruits and Vegetable Exporters’ Association, stated that Türkiye recovered from the losses in cherry exports caused by the climate crisis in 2025 by 2026.
Explaining that cherry exports are showing a positive trend not only in terms of quantity and value but also in terms of market diversification, he said, “While cherries were exported to 34 countries in 2025, this number has increased to 52 this year. We have exported to 21 markets, including Spain, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, the United Kingdom and Ireland, either again or for the first time. The position of Turkish cherries in international markets has strengthened.”
“Germany continues to be the largest market with 74 million dollars in exports. We have reached export volumes of 67.5 million dollars to the Russian Federation, 29 million dollars to Poland and 26.5 million to Iraq. If we do not experience any climatic problems in 2027, our target will be to reach 250 million dollars in cherry exports,” he noted.
“We want to gain strength in the Far East”
Indicating that the top four markets account for approximately 85 percent of total cherry exports, he added, “While maintaining our strong position in existing markets, we are continuously working on market diversification to make our exports more sustainable. We will focus on increasing the awareness of Turkish cherries and expanding our export network, particularly in high-potential markets, especially in Far Eastern countries. Our efforts to open up exports to China continue. We hope to see results soon.”
