Turkish exports to neighboring countries reach record high in 2024
File photo shows a stack of Turkish export shipping containers painted with the Turkish flag. (Adobe Stock Photo)
Türkiye’s exports to its neighboring countries—Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Greece—rose by 7.4% in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching an all-time high of $34.2 billion.
According to data compiled by Anadolu Agency from the Turkish Statistical Institute (TurkStat), the country’s total exports hit a historic high of $261.9 billion in 2024. Exports to neighboring countries also reached their highest level on record.
Iraq remained Türkiye’s top export destination among its neighbors, accounting for $13 billion in trade. Bulgaria followed with approximately $5.2 billion, Greece with $4.8 billion, and Iran with $3.2 billion.
Last year, Türkiye exported around $3.1 billion worth of goods to Azerbaijan, $2.7 billion to Georgia, and $2.2 billion to Syria.
Exports to all neighboring countries except Iran increased in 2024 compared to the previous year. Trade with Iran declined slightly by 0.5% during this period.
On an annual basis, the highest export growth was recorded in trade with Bulgaria (21.9%), followed by Greece (15.5%) and Azerbaijan (10.1%).
Mineral fuels lead Turkish exports
An analysis of Türkiye’s exports by product category shows that mineral fuels, oils, and their distillation products ranked first among goods shipped to neighboring countries last year.
Türkiye exported $2.7 billion worth of products in this category to its seven neighbors. Mineral fuels were followed by boilers, machinery, mechanical devices, and nuclear reactors, along with their parts, totaling $2.5 billion.
The third-largest category consisted of electrical machinery and equipment, with exports amounting to $2.1 billion.
Meanwhile, the least exported product categories included silk ($98,000), musical instruments ($357,000), and woven goods made of straw, reeds, or other plaiting materials ($553,000).
TurkStat’s calculations consider Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Greece as Türkiye’s neighboring countries. However, trade with Armenia is not included in the official statistics due to the lack of direct overland trade, and data from Nakhchivan is not incorporated in the overall figures.
