ANKARA, THE CAPITAL OF HIGH TECHNOLOGY, BREAKS EXPORT RECORDS
ANKARA’S EXPORTS IN THE FIRST 8 MONTHS REACHED 12.2 BILLION DOLLARS WITH A 20.7 PERCENT INCREASE
ANKARA’S ELECTRICAL-ELECTRONICS EXPORTS INCREASED BY 82 PERCENT
Ankara’s exports reached 12 billion 156 million dollars in the January-August period of 2026, increasing by 20.7 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. The leading export sector was electrical-electronics, exceeding 1.5 billion dollars with an 82 percent increase. Stating that the high-technology production capability of Ankara, the heart of the defense industry, is also reflected in export figures, ACI Chairman Seyit Ardıç said, “Our goal is to further increase our added value by spreading our high-technology capacity across our entire industry.”
According to data compiled by the Ankara Chamber of Industry from the records of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), the capital’s exports reached 12 billion 156 million dollars in the first 8 months of 2026, increasing by 2 billion 85 million dollars compared to 10 billion 71 million dollars in the same period of the previous year. Ankara’s share in Türkiye’s exports also rose from 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent, making it the third-highest exporting province. The capital’s annualized exports reached 19.57 billion dollars.
HIGHEST AUGUST LEVEL OF THE LAST THREE YEARS
Ankara’s exports in August increased by 2.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year, reaching 1 billion 347 million dollars. Thus, the highest August export level of the last three years was achieved. In August, companies from Ankara exported to 168 countries, while the share of the top 10 markets in total exports stood at 56.5 percent.
ELECTRICAL-ELECTRONICS EXPORTS INCREASED BY 82 PERCENT
In the first eight months of the year, the electrical-electronics sector ranked first in Ankara’s exports with 1 billion 513 million dollars. The sector’s exports increased by 82 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Electrical-electronics was followed by the automotive industry with 1 billion 294 million dollars, chemicals with 1 billion 218 million dollars, machinery and components with 1 billion 157 million dollars, and mining products with 1 billion 50 million dollars.
THE LARGEST MARKET WAS THE USA, THE FASTEST INCREASE WAS IN UKRAINE
In the January-August period, Ankara’s largest export market was the USA with 976.5 million dollars. The USA was followed by Slovakia with 885.4 million dollars, Ukraine with 861.9 million dollars, China with 822 million dollars, and the United Kingdom with 768.1 million dollars. In the first eight months of the year, 40.4 percent of exports were made to European Union countries.
ACI CHAIRMAN ARDIÇ: “A REFLECTION OF HIGH-TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTION ON OUR EXPORTS”
Evaluating the export figures for the first eight months of 2026, ACI Chairman Seyit Ardıç drew attention to Ankara’s strong production ecosystem formed by its organized industrial zones, universities, R&D centers and qualified human resources. Emphasizing that Ankara, the heart of the defense industry, is improving its capability in high-technology production day by day, Chairman Ardıç said:
“Ankara industry’s production power and technological competence are strongly reflected in the rise in exports. Our goal is to spread our high-technology capacity, which is concentrated in the defense industry, across our entire industry, and to further increase the added value of our products and the unit value of our exports. As the Ankara Chamber of Industry, we carry out projects that accelerate the technological transformation of our companies, facilitate their access to international markets and open the door to new collaborations. We are working with determination to make the highest contribution to our country’s economy by increasing the production and export power of our capital. I thank all our industrialists who contributed to the increase in our capital’s exports despite challenging global conditions, and I wish them continued success.”