Textile is one of the key sectors in the Turkish economy in terms of GDP, employment and export. Textile accounts for 10 % of the Turkish GDP and 20% of employment in manufacturing sector. The value of textiles and clothing industry production is around US$ 30 billion. Turkey exported US$ 19,3 billion worth of textile and clothing in 2009. With this amount, it had a share of 19 % in total exports of Turkey.

Turkey’s textile industry relies on locally­ grown cotton. Turkey, a traditional cotton grower, is now the world’s seventh largest cotton producer. In the 2009, the amount of cotton grown in Turkey was estimated at 500 thousand tonnes.

As a quality cotton producing country, Turkey has integrated and diversified production in all sub-sectors of the textile industry by producing and exporting all types of yarns, fabrics, clothing, household textiles, many ready­made textile products and technical textiles. Turkish home textile manufacturers are quite strong in terms of manufacturing and distribution both in the domestic and export markets. Turkey is one of the top four home textile manufacturers in the world. This means a huge textile machinery park and a large and continuous demand for textile machinery.

The strong textile industry in Turkey initiated the development of the textile machinery industry. Until 1980 nearly all textile machinery were imported. However, starting in 1980 some local production of small and medium ­sized low­-tech machinery began. At present, the line of products manufactured by the companies varies substantially from highly automated equipment to basic models, and local producers are able to compete with foreign companies in most machinery categories, such as atmospheric jet dyeing (overflow) or blow dyeing machinery.

Source: blog.tcp.gov.tr