Türkiye ramps up trade integration with OIC states

Türkiye's exports to Organization of Islamic Cooperation member states reached $41.5 billion in the first seven months of 2026, rising $345.7 million year-on-year as Ankara works to lift the Islamic bloc's share of total exports to 30 percent by 2028, the Trade Ministry announced on Monday.

Trade growth and strategic targets

The ministry said the January-July figure reflects a 0.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year, with overall trade volume climbing 2.2 percent to $69.2 billion. Under the 2026-2028 Medium Term Program, officials aim to raise Islamic countries' share of total exports from the current 27 percent to 30 percent within three years.

Key markets and regional expansion

The strategy targets 21 countries in its first phase, including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, Qatar, Algeria, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, Senegal, Tunisia, Jordan, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Libya, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan. Last year, the UAE ranked as Türkiye's top OIC trading partner with approximately $19 billion in bilateral turnover, followed by Iraq at $14.3 billion, while Egypt and Kazakhstan each recorded $7.9 billion.

Egypt led export growth in the January-July period, rising $522.2 million to reach $2.8 billion, while Libya increased $438.5 million to $2.2 billion and Syria expanded $296.8 million to $2.1 billion. Jordan also posted significant gains with exports climbing $227.5 million to $1.3 billion, according to the ministry data. Ankara's trade volume with the 57-member bloc has grown 1.4 times over the past decade, rising from $87.6 billion in 2013 to $119.1 billion by the end of 2025.