Turkey's Machine Exports Reach $13.8 B in First Half, Led by Germany

According to the Machine Exporters Association (MAİB), Turkey's machine‑manufacturing sector recorded consolidated exports of $13.8 billion in the January‑June period, including sales from free‑zone operations. The average export price per kilogram rose 11 % to $8.7. Germany was the top destination with $1.7 billion, an 8.7 % increase, followed by the United States at $1.2 billion, up 33.9 %. Italy, the United Kingdom and Spain completed the five largest markets.

Product categories showing the strongest growth were turbines, turbo‑jets and hydraulic cylinders, which rose 25.6 %, while leather‑processing machines fell 35.3 %. MAİB president Sevda Kayhan Yılmaz linked the rise to heightened geopolitical tensions and expanding defence spending, describing a shift toward a "security‑focused industrial paradigm." She noted that new multibillion‑dollar supply agreements signed at the NATO summit and a target to raise defence spending to 5 % of GDP by 2035 could turn Turkey into a strategic production hub for a wide range of defence and security equipment.