Turkey records 93,095 small business closures in nine months

Data from the Confederation of Turkish Tradesmen and Craftsmen (TESK) shows that 93,095 small businesses closed in Turkey during the first nine months of the year. This represents an 11.8 percent increase compared to the 83,302 closures recorded during the same period in 2025.

Istanbul experienced the highest number of closures with 10,956, followed by Izmir (6,421), Antalya (5,009), Ankara (4,862), and Bursa (4,246). In September alone, Istanbul accounted for approximately 12 percent of the 10,426 nationwide closures.

The closures consist of 73,121 businesses removed from the registry and 19,974 that stopped operating in a registered line of business. While closures are rising, the period also saw 219,177 new business registrations. The increase in closures is attributed to economic challenges, including rising business expenses, rent costs, inflation, and high borrowing costs.