Erdogan says Türkiye's economy became more resilient, national income reaches $1.6T
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the Turkish economy has become more resilient to global shocks, stating that national income reached $1.6 trillion while the unemployment rate declined to 8.1%, despite ongoing regional and international crises.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Union of Chambers and Commodity Exchanges of Türkiye in Ankara, Erdogan said Türkiye’s economic model over the past 23.5 years has been built on four pillars: production, employment, investment, and exports.
He said the economy expanded by 3.6% last year, pushing gross domestic product to $1.6 trillion and per capita income to $18,040.
Exports and trade continue to grow
Erdogan said Türkiye’s foreign trade volume reached $820 billion, while total goods and services exports rose to $396 billion, with a target of surpassing $400 billion in the near future.
He added that April exports increased 22.3% year-on-year to $25.4 billion, becoming the second-highest monthly export figure in the republic’s history, while annualized goods exports climbed 4.2% to $275.8 billion in 2026.
Defense and tourism sectors highlighted
The president said services exports increased 8.7-fold since 2002, reaching $122.6 billion in 2025 and making Türkiye the world’s sixth-largest service-surplus generating nation.
He also pointed to growth in the defense industry, noting that defense and aerospace exports exceeded $10 billion last year, while agreements worth $8 billion were signed during the SAHA 2026 International Defense and Aerospace Exhibition.
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Tourism revenues, he said, rose 4.2% in the first quarter of 2026 to $9.9 billion after Türkiye welcomed 64 million visitors in 2025 and generated $65.2 billion in tourism income.
Employment and investment
Erdogan said employment reached 32.5 million people and unemployment remained in single digits for 35 consecutive months.
He also stated that international investors established around 89,000 companies in Türkiye over the past 23 years, investing $290 billion, creating jobs for 1.2 million people and generating approximately $70 billion in annual exports.
Calls for fair market practices
The president said authorities would continue strict inspections against opportunistic pricing and urged businesses to preserve fair trade practices.
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