Türkiye’s average export unit value rose to $1.73 per kilogram as of September, the Turkish trade minister said during the second day of the Türkiye Innovation Week (TIW) in Istanbul.
The 13th edition of one of Türkiye’s most comprehensive innovation gatherings began Thursday and continued on Friday, organized by the Turkish Exporters’ Assembly (TIM) under the theme “Humanity 6.0.” Anadolu is its global communications partner.
Trade Minister Omer Bolat said Türkiye’s average export unit value, excluding high-tonnage, low-value items like cement and marble, hit $2.11 per kilogram.
“This rate in the defense industry reached $61.5 per kilogram, or 39 times the average, while the rate in the pharmaceutical sector hit $25, the ship and yacht sector $14, and in the auto sector $9 per kilogram,” he said. “Turkish ready-to-wear exports reached a per-kilogram value ranging from $80-100 — all these figures show how innovation and value-added contributions rose among exports.”
Bolat stated that Türkiye entered a new era that is focused on research and development (R&D), innovation, branding, design and added value.
“This year’s event is centered on our goal for humans to leverage technology and work within a productive system, as here we have gathered to seek answers to how humans will take advantage of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and how wealth generated by AI gains will be shared more fairly,” he said, noting that AI is projected to drive global trade by 40% by 2040 with its massive economic potential.
“The share of medium-high and high-tech exports among total exports was 30.4% in 2002, making up $10 billion, but this figure reached $112 billion by the end of 2025, grabbing a share of 43.7% among total exports. We aim to boost our exports in labor-intensive products where our country has a competitive edge, while increasing exports of other products with high added value,” he said.
Bolat noted that the year-end target for goods and services exports was set at $410 billion, and that, as of September, the figure had already reached $409 billion on an annual basis.
He stated that Türkiye significantly increased its research and development (R&D) spending, patent applications and academic capacity, such as the growth in technoparks, qualified production zones, and industrial and design centers, in the last 23 years, all of which contributed to Türkiye’s rising high-quality exports.
The minister emphasized that Türkiye maintained economic stability despite regional conflicts, rising trade protectionism, surging commodity prices, and a domestic counterterrorism campaign, ensuring continued growth for 16 years, with national income reaching $1.7 trillion and $18,300 per capita.
He noted that Turkish exports rose 5.2% year-on-year in September, reaching $283.7 billion, exceeding the year-end target.
“We allocated a $30 billion fund to investments to develop the country’s technology and value-added production through tax incentives, grants, and low-cost financing,” he said, referring to the HIT-30 (High-Technology Investment Program) and the investment- and commitment-based advance credit scheme.