Minister Bolat says Türkiye leads Europe in ceramic sanitaryware

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat met with industry representatives at the 37th UNICERA International Ceramics, Bathroom and Kitchen Fair. Bolat said Türkiye is Europe’s leading and the world’s third-largest producer of ceramic sanitaryware.

Trade Minister Ömer Bolat met with industry representatives during the 37th UNICERA International Ceramics, Bathroom and Kitchen Fair in Istanbul. Bolat said the ceramics sector is among the strategic areas of Türkiye’s economy because of its production capacity, export strength and employment.

According to figures shared by Bolat, the sector provides direct employment to 60,000 people and indirect employment to 300,000, while the share of domestic inputs exceeds 80 percent. Türkiye ranks among Europe’s top three countries in ceramic tiles, with an installed capacity of 650 million square meters and annual production of 350–450 million square meters. In ceramic sanitaryware, it is Europe’s leading and the world’s third-largest producer, with a production capacity of 30 million units.

Ceramic product exports reached $1.3 billion in 2025, giving Türkiye a 2.1 percent share of global ceramic product exports. Türkiye ranked fifth worldwide in ceramic tile exports with $662 million and recorded exports of more than $242 million in ceramic sanitaryware.

Minister Bolat and industry representatives at the UNICERA Istanbul Fair

Bolat announced that 13 brands belonging to 12 companies in the natural stone, ceramics and sanitaryware sectors are receiving support under the Turquality and TURQUALITY programs, while three completed UR-GE projects have contributed to the export capacity of 49 companies. The fair attracted more than 50,000 visitors from over 128 countries this year and featured 220 companies, 76 of them foreign.