President Erdogan hails Türkiye’s record-breaking exports in 2024

Türkiye’s exports reached its highest level in its history at end of the 2024, recording $262 billion up by 2.5%, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Friday.

The country’s foreign trade deficit, which stood at $106.3 billion in 2023, decreased to $82.2 billion, President Erdogan said at the Turkish Exporters Assembly’s (TIM) 2024 Export Figures Announcement Program event in Istanbul. The export-import coverage ratio reached 76.1% in 2024, up 5.5 percentage points year-on-year, Erdogan emphasized.

In December alone, the country’s exports rose by 2.2% to $23.5 billion, which is another record level, he added.

Türkiye set to join high-income countries, Erdogan heralds

On Türkiye’s gross domestic product (GDP), Erdogan said per capita income in the country, which was at $13,243 in 2023, is expected to exceed $15,000 in 2024 and surpass $17,000 in 2025.

Türkiye aims to reach 4% growth in 2025 with the support of net exports and fixed capital investments, Erdogan pointed out while recalling that the growth by 2.1% in the third quarter and achieving positive growth rates over the last 17 quarters.

‘History will attest to our righteousness in Gaza’

Erdogan also highlighted Türkiye’s righteous position on Gaza will be vindicated by history just as it was in Syria. “Just as we have been proven right in the case of Syria, history will attest to our righteousness in the Gaza crisis as well,” Erdogan said.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

Erdogan also underlined that Türkiye is the only country that has completely halted trade with Israel. In May, Türkiye halted all trade with Israel which amounts to some $9.5 billion, amid the ongoing Israeli genocidal war on Gaza.

Despite a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, the Israeli army has continued its attacks on Gaza that have killed nearly 45,600 victims, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7, 2023.