The exports of textiles, excluding apparel, from Turkey increased by 6.6 percent during the first six months of 2013, compared to the corresponding period of last year.

 

Turkish firms exported US$ 4.164 billion worth of textiles to other countries during January to June 2013, accounting for 5.6 percent of total Turkish exports, according to the data compiled by the Istanbul Textile and Apparel Exporters' Association (ITKIB).

 

Segment wise, woven fabric exports earned US$ 1.436 billion for Turkey, followed by knitted fabric which fetched US$ 845.6 million, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported.

 

Yarn exports from Turkey were worth US$ 838.5 million, while fibre exports amounted to US$ 307.8 million, from January to June 2013, according to the data.

 

Exports to the EU accounted for 45 percent of all Turkish textile exports during the six-month period.

 

Turkey exported textiles worth US$ 542.2 million to Russia, US$ 418.2 million to Italy, and US$ 213.8 million to Germany, during the first quarter of 2013.

 

Istanbul accounted for US$ 1.957 billion worth of textile exports from Turkey during the period under review, while the province of Bursa contributed US$ 582.4 million.

 

Turkish textile exports rose to US$ 7.75 billion in 2012 from US$ 7.7 billion in 2011, according to statistics of the Ministry of Economy.